Around 7 of every 10 patients undergoing haemodialysis across India survive for over 6 months, says a new study by the George Institute for Global Health, India. The study is claimed to be the country’s first national benchmark survey on the survival among haemodialysis patients.
The study evaluated 23,601 patients, of whom 29% were women. After accounting for centre- and patient-level factors, the model-predicted 180-day survival ranged between 83% and 97%. Survival in the average centre was 90%. Mortality was 32% higher in rural centres compared to urban centres.
Apart from pointing toward higher mortality among diabetic patients, the study highlighted lower mortality among people with higher education or a higher monthly annual household income.
The study titled “Centre-level variation in the survival of patients receiving haemodialysis in India: Findings from a nationwide private haemodialysis network” was published in the Lancet journal.
The researchers aimed to establish the nationally representative survival rates on haemodialysis treatment in India, quantify the variation in survival between centres, and measure how much of this variation was explained by centre-level characteristics like number of beds, staff strength or location in urban or local area.
Commenting on these findings, Dr Carinna Hockham, The George Institute for Global Health, said, “This is the largest study to date to investigate survival outcomes amongst patients receiving haemodialysis in India, both in terms of size and geographic scope. It shows the power of using routinely collected health data to examine population health outcomes. It provides information on the type of data that should be collected to comprehensively understand what factors influence survival on dialysis.”
The study, which used de-identified individual-level data from 193 dialysis centres across the country which are part of the NephroPlus network, examined the survival of patients receiving haemodialysis treatment. It spanned from 1 April 2014 to 30 June 2019.
Haemodialysis is a vital medical procedure used to treat individuals with kidney failure.
When the kidneys are no longer able to filter waste and excess fluid from your blood effectively, hemodialysis steps in to perform this crucial function. India has one of the highest numbers of long-term dialysis patients globally, with an estimated 175,000 individuals in 2018.
The number of dialysis patients is on the rise. Amongst all procedures covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the government spends the most money on dialysis procedures. Despite this burden, there has been limited data on the clinical outcomes of dialysis patients in India. Previous studies were either small, single-centre, or over 10 years old.