Patient experience in automated peritoneal dialysis with telemedicine monitoring during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico: Qualitative study.

AIM: The aim of the study was to understand the experiences of patients on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) during the period of confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Qualitative exploratory study, phenomenological through semi-structured telephone interview. METHOD: A priori sampling was carried out with patients on APD with remote monitoring and telephone follow-up, in 13 hospitals in Mexico. RESULTS: Twenty-nine informants, mean age 45.41 ± 16.93; 15 women and 14 men. The analysis revealed four categories of analysis: home isolation, clinical follow-up, socioeconomic challenges and infodemic. The experiences of these patients led them to somatize emotions, presenting symptoms such as anxiety, sadness, loneliness, sleep, eating and digestive disorders, situation that sets the tone for future research on telemedicine care models, coping styles, emotional support strategies and socioeconomic impact on patients with chronic home treatments during the pandemic.

A COVID-19 pandemic-specific, structured care process for peritoneal dialysis patients facilitated by telemedicine: Therapy continuity, prevention, and complications management.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a pandemic. Peritoneal dialysis (PD), being a home therapy, allows for physical distancing measures and movement restrictions. In order to prevent COVID-19 contagioun among the Dominican Republic National Health System PD program patients, a follow-up virtual protocol for this group was developed. The aim of this study is to outline the protocol established by the PD program's healthcare team using telemedicine in order to avoid COVID-19 transmission and to report initial results and outcomes of this initiative. This is an observational prospective longitudinal study with 946 patients being treated in seven centers distributed throughout the country between April 1 and June 30. The protocol was implemented focusing on the patient follow-up; risk mitigation data were registered and collected from electronic records. During the follow-up period, 95 catheters were implanted, 64 patients initiated PD, and the remaining were in training. A total of 9532 consultations were given by the different team specialists, with 8720 (91%) virtual and 812 (9%) face-to-face consultations. The transfer rate to hemodialysis was 0.29%, whereas the peritonitis rate was 0.11 episode per patient/year. Eighteen adults tested positive for COVID-19. The implementation of the protocol and telemedicine utilization have ensured follow-up and monitoring, preserved therapy, controlled complications, and PD lives protected.