U.S. nephrology trainees doubt skill in home hemodialysis

(HealthDay)—U.S. nephrology trainees report moderate and low confidence for peritoneal dialysis (PD) and home hemodialysis (HHD), respectively, according to a study published online Nov. 16 in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

Nupur Gupta, M.D., from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study surveying 110 nephrology trainees regarding their confidence with management of home dialysis and perception of home dialysis educational resources provided by their training programs. The trainees had attended any one of three home dialysis conferences.

Seventy-six of the nephrology trainees completed the survey. The researchers found that regarding the principles of PD, most respondents were moderately confident. However, only 3 and 11 percent had initiated patients on urgent-start PD and observed a PD catheter insertion, respectively. For HHD, the level of confidence was low. Most trainees attended a home dialysis continuity clinic with faculty mentorship.

“Robust efforts redesigning the curriculum, incorporating new learning technologies, and ensuring home dialysis clinical competencies prior to graduation are initial steps forward towards improving the effectiveness of home dialysis education during nephrology training,” the authors write.

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