Home dialysis versus in-center dialysis under Medicare's ETC program
Leveraging the ESRD Treatment Choices model to understand the benefits of home versus in-center dialysis
This project looks at whether shifting more people on dialysis to treatment at home instead of at a center improves health and lowers costs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11090487 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's view, researchers are using the ESRD Treatment Choices (ETC) program — a national policy that randomly gave financial incentives to certain U.S. regions — to compare what happens when more people receive dialysis at home versus at dialysis centers. They will analyze Medicare claims and clinical records from patients in ETC-selected regions versus other regions and apply statistical methods to reduce the usual selection bias. Outcomes include survival, hospital stays, transplant rates, quality of life, and health care spending. The work is based on existing patient data and does not require individual enrollment in a new drug or device trial.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are U.S. adults with end-stage kidney disease receiving dialysis, especially Medicare beneficiaries treated in hospital-referral regions affected by the ETC program.
Not a fit: People without kidney failure, those not on chronic dialysis, non-U.S. residents, or patients not captured in Medicare records are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could support wider access to home dialysis and lead to better health outcomes and lower costs for dialysis patients.
How similar studies have performed: Previous observational studies have suggested home dialysis is linked with better survival and lower costs but are limited by selection bias, and randomized policy-level experiments like ETC are a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shahinian, Vahakn B — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Shahinian, Vahakn B
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.