Clinical and patient‐reported outcomes of Chinese patients undergoing haemodialysis in hospital or in the community: A 1‐year longitudinal study

AIM: Little is known about the effect of haemodialysis (HD) setting on outcomes of patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). The study aimed at comparing clinical outcomes and patient‐reported outcomes (PRO) of patients on community‐based (CBHD) and hospital‐based haemodialysis (HBHD). METHODS: A prospective cohort of Chinese ESRD patients receiving HBHD (n = 89) or CBHD (n = 117) in Hong Kong were followed up for 12 months. Subjects were assessed on clinical outcomes of dialysis adequacy (Kt/V) and blood haemoglobin and PRO of health‐related quality of life (SF‐12v2), general health condition (Global Rating Scale (GRS)) and confidence to cope with their illness (Patient Enablement Instrument (PEI)). Differences between groups were analyzed by independent t‐tests for the SF‐12v2, GRS and PEI scores. χ(2) tests were used to analyze the difference in proportion of patients reaching the targets of Kt/V and blood haemoglobin and with GRS > 0 and PEI > 0. Multiple linear and logistic regressions were performed to assess the adjusted difference‐in‐difference estimation. RESULTS: The mean PEI and GRS scores of CBHD patients at 12 months were significantly higher than those of HBHD patients. CBHD patients had significantly greater improvement in self‐efficacy and were more likely to be enabled after 12 months than the HBHD patients. CONCLUSION: The study showed similar clinical outcomes and PRO between CBHD and HBHD but CBHD was more effective than HBHD in promoting patient enablement over a 12‐month period. The results suggest added value for patients receiving CBHD and support the transfer of HD care from the hospital to the community.