title: Role of clinical engineers in home hemodialysis.
abstract: Compared to conventional hemodialysis (HD), home hemodialysis (HHD) enables marked increases in HD duration and frequency. Better clinical outcomes have been reported for HHD, including improvements in patient survival and their quality of life. However, statistical analysis by the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy in 2010 revealed that only 0.1% of the end-stage renal disease patients received HHD in Japan. In our hospital, clinical engineers as well as doctors and nurses have resolutely been working towards the education, maintenance and management of HHD. More than 30 patients have successfully and safely started HHD within the last 3 years. To carry out HHD, a certain amount of knowledge is required to understand the principles of dialysis and clinical engineering and how to use HD devices. About 50% of the problems during HHD were related to HD devices. Thus, we feel that it is essential to extend HHD so that clinical engineers can systematically structure and support HHD.
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohhashi
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Shintarou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Isa
authors.forename: Kazuhito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohhama
authors.forename: Hiromichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D006437:Hemodialysis, Home / Q000193:education / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D024382:Professional Role