Improving quality of life for dialysis patients through telecare

Home dialysis can improve the care and quality of life for patients with renal failure. We have explored the possibility of extending home care to more patients needing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) using telemedicine. We tested videoconferencing support for five CAPD patients using low-cost ISDN equipment (128 kbit/s). Initial results indicated that it was possible to integrate video-communication into the daily routine of the clinic and the response from patients was surprisingly positive. Selection of appropriate, affordable technology and the ISDN service support by the telecommunications provider proved to be considerably more difficult than anticipated. The first indications also suggest medical advantages for home teledialysis.