Original Article Underutilization of peritoneal dialysis: the role of the nephrologist’s referral pattern

Background. The incidence of end-stage renal disease is increasing, placing a tremendous burden on health care resources. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is cheaper than hemo-dialysis and has many potential advantages and few con-traindications as an initial modality selection. This study examined differences in patient PD attempt rates between nephrologists using technique survival and mortality as outcomes. Methods. We performed a retrospective review of th