Grant: Operating Grant: SPOR iCT Rewarding Success - Travel Awards - Manitoba

Chronic dialysis is very hard on patients and very costly to the health system. The number of Manitobans receiving dialysis will almost double in the next ten years due to an aging population, improved survival on dialysis and increasing rates of diabetes and high blood pressure. Our health system must urgently adapt to find better and cheaper ways to offer chronic dialysis to patients. Most patients in Canada (>75%) receive their dialysis in a hospital or clinic setting about three times per week. There are two forms of home dialysis that often improve health outcomes and patient experience. Peritoneal Dialysis (through the belly) and Home Hemodialysis with a smaller more user -friendly machine than used in hospitals, can be offered to patients at a much lower cost to the health care system. Despite our best efforts, however, there are many patients that still require hospital or clinic based hemodialysis. The units in Winnipeg are currently over 100% capacity. Building new buildings to house dialysis machines is one costly option. Another option is opening our dialysis units to a full 7-day schedule (where currently we only open 6 days per week) to best use our limited healthcare resources to meet patient needs. This change would significantly increase capacity to continue to offer hospital based dialysis when appropriate, creating more effective programs and delaying the need for large new centres to be built. These two solutions will benefit patients by offering dialysis safely and effectively in the home and make our health system more sustainable. With the highest rates of dialysis in Canada, Manitoba must be a leader in innovative solutions for all of Canada in this area. Our team of clinicians, researchers and knowledge users including patients and decision-makers will design, implement and evaluate these two interventions and their impact on healthcare costs, efficiency and better healthcare outcomes for patients and their families.