2024-05-08 16:47:40
(ANSA) – ROME, MAY 08 – The progressive spread of peritoneal dialysis instead of hemodialysis would lead to savings of 171 million euros for the health service over 5 years. This is what emerges from a study conducted by the High School of Economics and Management of Health Systems (Altems) of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart presented in Rome.
In Italy it is estimated that 8-10 percent of the population suffers from chronic kidney disease, although in the majority of cases they do not know they are suffering from it since the diagnosis often comes late. Around 45 thousand are on dialysis.
Peritoneal dialysis, unlike hemodialysis, does not purify the blood with an external device, but by exploiting the peritoneum, the membrane that lines the abdomen and can be carried out independently by the patient at home. “It is still not widespread in Italy but it is a clinically effective therapy that allows patients to be treated independently at home, without the need to continually go to hospital with an excellent quality of life”, says Marco Oradei, head of the Laboratory Hta by Altems. “From the point of view of the National Health Service, there is the possibility of freeing up important economic resources, of lightening the workload in the dialysis centres, allowing for better sustainability of the entire system”, he adds.
“The Altems report, drawn up with a robust health technology assessment methodology, suggests important opportunities to improve the provision of home dialysis services to those suffering from chronic kidney disease, in a context of clinical effectiveness of patients’ quality of life and economic sustainability”, comments Americo Cicchetti, director of the general directorate of health planning of the Ministry of Health. (HANDLE).
2024-05-08 16:47:40