BARRIERS TO UTILIZATION OF CHRONIC PERITONEAL DIALYSIS IN NETWORK #1, NEW ENGLAND

¤ Objective: The percentage of prevalent end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients maintained on chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD) therapy in the United States declined from 15 % in 1991 to 8.1 % in 2002. Previous studies indicate that nephrologists in the United States feel 32.6 % of prevalent ESRD patients should be on CPD therapy. The present study was designed to better understand the reasons for the dis-crepancy in actual versus desired prevalence of CPD utilization. ¤ Methods: The medical directors of all dialysis centers in New England were mailed a questionnaire about the nephrologists ’ opinions concerning the percentage of pa-tients that should be maintained on CPD therapy, reasons that limited patients ’ selection of CPD as initial therapy, and concerns about the current status of CPD therapy. Th