Exploration of patients’ preference for modalities of care among peritoneal dialysis patients in Singapore: a single-center experience

Introduction Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is home-based dialysis therapy and therefore a suitable modality for kidney failure patients, particularly, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study examined patients’ preferences for different PD-related services. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey study. Anonymized data from PD patients followed up at a single center in Singapore were collected using an online platform. The study focused on telehealth services, home visits, and monitoring of quality-of-life (QoL). Results A total of 78 PD patients responded to the survey. The majority of participants were Chinese (76%), married (73%), and between 45 and 65 years old (45%). The in-person visit was preferred over teleconsultation for consultation with nephrologists (68% versus 32%), counseling for kidney disease and dialysis by renal coordinators (59%), whereas the telehealth service was favored over in-person visit for dietary counseling (60%) and medication counseling (64%). Most participants (81%) preferred medication delivery over self-collection, and the acceptable turnaround time was 1 week. Sixty percent would like to have a regular home visit, but 23% refused such visits. The preferred frequency of home visits was one-to-three visits within the first 6 months (74%) and then 6 monthly for subsequent visits (40%). The majority of participants (87%) agreed with QoL monitoring, and the preferred frequency of monitoring varied between 6 monthly (45%) and yearly (40%). Participants also indicated three key areas in research to improve QoL, such as the development of artificial kidneys, portable PD devices, and simplification of PD procedure. Participants also would like to see improvement in two main areas of PD services, such as delivery service for PD solutions and social (instrumental, informational, and emotional) support. Conclusions Most PD patients preferred in-person visits with nephrologists or renal coordinators; however, they favored telehealth services with dieticians and pharmacists. PD patients also welcomed home visit service and QoL monitoring. Future studies should confirm these findings.