ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: We conducted a survey interviewing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients just after they began chronic dialysis (CD) to describe characteristics and factors associated with early (ER) and late referral (LR), and to analyze the consequences of timing of referral to a nephrologist. METHODS: We interviewed 673 patients via telephone starting CD between 2004 and 2006 in Lazio, Italy, to collect information about the year before CD. Multiple logistic regression was performed to evaluate the factors associated with LR. RESULTS: We found that 22% of patients reported being LRs. A lower probability for LR was found for older age, family history of renal diseases, abnormal test for renal functions, presence of hypertension, married status and awareness of a nephrology outpatient center near home. LR patients had a lower frequency of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination (14.9% vs. 41.7%), arteriovenous fistula (31.8% vs. 75.6%) and information about renal replacement therapy modalities (33.8% vs. 72.6%), and they more often started CD in an emergency (85.8% vs. 41.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of self-reported LR was lower than reported in other studies. However, many patients started CD in an emergency, with a catheter as first vascular access, without vaccination against HBV and without the possibility of choosing their dialysis modality. Individual conditions facilitating contact with medical care (older age and presence of comorbidities) seem to be associated with a lower probability of LR. These findings emphasize the importance of predialysis patient training, confirming the important role that information plays in health service access, to improve early and long-term dialysis outcomes.