Supporting CKD Patients at Home

Dr Heaf opened the symposium by welcoming the attendees and introducing the speakers. Prof Cowie explained the concept of remote monitoring and outlined some of the tools available in cardiology, which include telephone monitoring, standalone equipment, and implanted devices. The challenges and usage of remote monitoring throughout 15 years of use in cardiology were explained, and emphasis was placed on the ability of remote monitoring devices to enable shared decision-making between the patient and healthcare professionals (HCPs) and their ability to align management strategies with patient needs. Prof Pestana then described the advantages and limitations of home-based peritoneal dialysis (PD). PD is an existing therapy that may benefit from additional patient and clinical support through telemonitoring and remote monitoring devices. Studies that assessed telemonitoring as a support for home-based PD versus centre-based haemodialysis were evaluated and the importance of shared decision-making was emphasised. The requirement for personalised decision-making tools in order to enhance medical supervision and provide more data for clinical decisions was discussed.