CHICAGO—A program that focuses on individualized care for new dialysis patients has reduced mortality rates by nearly half and significantly reduced hospitalization during the first 90 days of treatment, according to Fresenius Medical Care.
Fresenius’ RightStart program, which started in 2002, provides new dialysis patients education, encouragement and support to help them manage their own treatment and health. In designing the program, Fresenius Medical Care said it wanted to address some of the reversible risk factors contributing to early mortality, such as nutrition, anemia, dialysis dose, and patient empowerment.
During the first four months of dialysis treatment, a RightStart case manager regularly counsels patients enrolled in the program, including review of treatment information, how to take medicines, what those medicines are for, and how to best work with their healthcare team, according to Fresenius.
Fresenius said RightStart also helps patients take more individual responsibility for care, and informs them of risks associated with missing treatments, not following their diet, and other critical components of their treatment program.
Overall, dialysis patients in the RightStart program had a 41 percent lower mortality compared to a control group of patients in the first 90 days of treatment, according to Fresenius. In addition, affects of the program was measured out to one year and there was a 34 percent reduction in mortality during this time frame, compared to a control group.
