Effective Strategies for Training Patients to Perform Home Dialysis

Patient education is critical to the success of the patient on home dialysis. Ideally, pre-admission interventions should include a home environment assessment, assessment of patient and care partner commitment to therapy and level of engagement, assessment of patient support and resources, and assessment of patient and care partner readiness to learn. The training process used by the registered nurse (RN) working in home dialysis training, as well as initial and ongoing assessment of patient and care partner knowledge and skills, ensures the patient is positioned for the best outcomes. This article explores individual patient and care partner considerations to be integrated as part of developing the plan of care for successful home dialysis training.