title: Current status and standards for establishment of hemodialysis units in Korea.
abstract: The number of hemodialysis patients and dialysis facilities is increasing each year, but there are no surveillance programs validating that the services and equipment of each hemodialysis unit meet specified safety and quality standards. There is a concern that excessive competition and illegal activities committed by some dialysis facilities may violate patients' right to health. Contrastingly, developed countries often have their own survey program to provide initial certification and monitoring to ensure that these clinics continue to meet basic requirements. Because hemodialysis units provide renal replacement therapy to critical patients suffering from severe chronic renal failure, appropriate legal regulation is important for the provision of initial certification and maintenance of facility, equipment, and human resource quality. Therefore, several standards providing minimum requirements for the area of hemodialysis unit, equipment for emergency care, physician and nurse staffs, water purification and quality management are urgently needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym Kidney Institute, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Ki
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kiwon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae Joong
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000592:standards*; D006280:Health Workforce; D006801:Humans; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000592:standards*; D056910:Republic of Korea
keywords: Hemodialysis units; Reference standards; Renal dialysis