When and why Choosing Home Hemodialysis

Abstract

Recently we observed a renewed interest in home hemodialysis for the treatment of chronic renal disease thanks to the latest technological innovations, which allow to undergo this treatment more easily than in the past. The revival of this method raises an interesting debate in the scientific community; this debate has shown some critical positions in Italy through the NephroMeet platform. In this paper we highlight the main clinical evidences and the psychological and social effects of home hemodialysis, through a revision of the most recent literature and the conversational analysis of a successful case. Our perspective starts from the concept of health as defined by the WHO. We show how home extracorporeal hemodialysis presents important advantages, both clinical and psychosocial, and why it should be considered as a valid alternative after transplantation and peritoneal dialysis.