
More Home Dialysis
for better health, quality of life and cost control
Dialysis is a life-sustaining treatment for kidney failure and is today most often performed in a hospital. However, research shows that when dialysis is instead performed at home, both health, quality of life and finances are improved.
More Homedialysis is a Scandinavian project, funded by Interreg ÖKS, where we will test and develop products, services and models to increase home dialysis in both Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
Through person-centered care, cross-border collaboration and health innovations, we want to provide people with kidney failure, relatives, care operations and decision-makers with the conditions, knowledge and tools to increase dialysis at home.
Testing, Analysis, and Evaluation
We will conduct practical tests on communication between hospital staff and home dialysis patients, dialysis equipment, and waste management. Based on these tests, we will develop products and models for communication and processes in collaboration with home dialysis users. Involving users, alongside companies, healthcare professionals, and researchers, early in the design and evaluation process provides valuable insights into the barriers that have hindered the adoption of home dialysis, despite patient organisations' demands and anticipated cost savings.
Expected Outcomes
We aim for the project to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the conditions necessary to increase home dialysis in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. This will be based on an analysis of policies, legislation, and cultural similarities and differences across the countries. The Scandinavian model for home dialysis developed through this project will be incorporated into national guidelines and knowledge management systems for kidney care, influencing healthcare education and corporate product development.
Design Thinking
This project employs design thinking and a person-centred approach to enhance home dialysis. Through practical testing of communication between hospital staff and home dialysis patients, as well as evaluating dialysis equipment and waste management in the home, we aim to develop new, effective products and communication models. By adopting a person-centred approach, we ensure that the needs, resources, and experiences of users remain central to our work.
Understanding and Improving
We involve individuals with kidney disease, healthcare professionals, companies, and researchers from the outset to gather valuable perspectives. The ambition is to gain insights into the barriers preventing widespread use of home dialysis, despite its numerous benefits and potential cost savings. To better understand the life situations and health of home dialysis users, we leverage data from extensive national quality registries. We also investigate why home dialysis is often not presented as an option by healthcare providers and develop informational initiatives and tools to address this issue.
Our goal is for the solutions and strategies we develop to be integrated into national guidelines, influence healthcare education, and drive innovation in corporate product development. The person-centred approaches and frameworks we create for home dialysis can also be applied to other areas of healthcare.