Nephrologists and Baxter discuss strategies to boost peritoneal dialysis in Korea

Baxter, a company focusing on kidney care, said it recently held an expert group meeting to explore ways to revitalize peritoneal dialysis in Korea.

At the expert group meeting, Korean and international peritoneal dialysis experts, including the Korean Society of Peritoneal Dialysis (KSPD) and the International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD), discussed the current status of peritoneal dialysis treatment in Korea and the need for healthcare policy support to improve the environment.

The discussion was chaired by Professor Park Sun-hee at Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, from KSPD. The talks covered topics such as the need to strengthen policy support and education for peritoneal dialysis.

"To substantially improve the rate of peritoneal dialysis in Korea, policy support must accompany it," said Professor Shin Ho-sik at Kosin University College of Medicine, from KSPD. 

According to Shin, the pilot project for home management of peritoneal dialysis patients, which is scheduled to end in December 2025, has already been extended once, and about 7,000 patients from 93 hospitals have participated in it, confirming its clinical effectiveness and efficiency. 

The pilot project should be converted into a full-scale project to revitalize peritoneal dialysis and reduce the socio-economic burden through stable policy support, he said.

Peritoneal dialysis is favored in many countries because it allows patients to maintain their daily routines and economic activities and reduces the socioeconomic burden on the country, noted ISPD President-elect Rajnish Mehrotra. 

In the U.S., the Advancing American Kidney Health Initiative (AAKHI) Executive Order of 2018 provided incentives to choose or increase home dialysis, such as peritoneal dialysis. As a result, the peritoneal dialysis rate went up from 6 percent in the mid-2000s to approximately 18 percent now, Mehrotra said.

Professor Tan Chieh Suai of Singapore General Hospital added said policy provisions, medical staff cooperation, and infrastructure were important to promote peritoneal dialysis. 

He noted that to ensure that patients do not choose a dialysis method based on doctors’ preference,  Singapore General Hospital provides nephrologists with equal training programs in peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. As a result, at Singapore General Hospital, a quarter of patients are on peritoneal dialysis.

The panel discussion also involved ways to promote shared decision-making for dialysis types.

"Shared decision-making is an important process in which patients decide when to start dialysis and the type of dialysis that is right for them based on sufficient education about dialysis," said Professor Kim Se-joong at Seoul National University College of Medicine, from KSPD. 

It is important to provide patients with information about peritoneal dialysis and to provide regular education on shared decision-making to nephrologists, he said. 

Once the pilot project is converted into a full-scale program and shared decision-making cases get insurance coverage, it will help to increase the choice of shared decision-making, he added.

Professor Park expressed hope that, with government policy support, the percentage of patients choosing peritoneal dialysis in Korea will increase, ultimately improving patient-centered care and reducing the socioeconomic burden.

Im Kwang-hyuk, General Manager of Baxter Korea, said the company was making efforts to create better peritoneal dialysis treatment conditions, including the application of digital technology to improve outcomes. 

In 2023, Baxter Korea signed an MOU with the Korean Society of Nephrology to develop physician training courses to promote home treatment for end-stage renal disease patients, he said.

"As the number of end-stage renal disease and dialysis patients in Korea continues to increase rapidly, we will work together to maintain the quality of life for patients and find ways to address national challenges,” Im added.