title: Two-times weekly hemodialysis in China: frequency, associated patient and treatment characteristics and Quality of Life in the China Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Renal replacement therapy is rapidly expanding in China, and two-times weekly dialysis is common, but detailed data on practice patterns are currently limited. Using cross-sectional data from the China Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS), we describe the hemodialysis practice in China compared with other DOPPS countries, examining demographic, social and clinical characteristics of patients on two-times weekly dialysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The DOPPS protocol was implemented in 2011 among a cross-section of 1379 patients in 45 facilities in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. Data from China were compared with a cross section of 11 054 patients from the core DOPPS countries (collected 2009-11). Among China DOPPS patients, logistic and linear regression were used to describe the association of dialysis frequency with patient and treatment characteristics and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 26% of the patients in China were dialyzing two times weekly, compared with < 5% in other DOPPS regions. Standardized Kt/V was lowest in China (2.01) compared with other regions (2.12-2.27). Female sex, shorter dialysis vintage, lower socioeconomic status, less health insurance coverage, and lack of diabetes and hypertension were associated with dialyzing two times weekly (versus three times weekly). Patients dialyzing two times per week had longer treatment times and lower standardized Kt/V, but similar quality of life scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Two-times weekly dialysis is common in China, particularly among patients, who started dialysis more recently, have a lower comorbidity burden and have financial constraints. Quality of life scores do not differ between the two-times and three-times weekly groups. The effect on clinical outcomes merits further study.
authors: Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Bieber
authors: Renal Division, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors: Jiaqi
authors: J
authors: Qian
authors: Division of Nephrology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
authors: Shuchi
authors: S
authors: Anand
authors: Renal Division, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors: Yucheng
authors: Y
authors: Yan
authors: Department of Nephrology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors: Nan
authors: N
authors: Chen
authors: Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors: Mia
authors: M
authors: Wang
authors: People's Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors: Mei
authors: M
authors: Wang
authors: Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China Institute of Nephrology, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Zuo
authors: Division of Nephrology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Fan Fan
authors: FF
authors: Hou
authors: Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors: Ronald L
authors: RL
authors: Pisoni
authors: Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors: Bruce M
authors: BM
authors: Robinson
authors: Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors: Sylvia P B
authors: SP
authors: Ramirez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: hemodialysis adequacy; hemodialysis frequency; outcomes; practice patterns; quality of life