Selecting patients when resources are limited: a study of US medical directors of kidney dialysis and transplantation facilities.

This study reports and discusses responses of 453 medical directors of renal dialysis and transplantation facilities to detailed patient selection questionnaires. The questionnaires examine selection criteria being used today as well as those which would be employed were resources to remain or become scarce relative to need. Selection criteria examined (and the number of directors supporting them when resources are limited) are: qualitative prognosis, psychological stability, likelihood of medical benefit, quantitative prognosis, medical benefit (virtually all); willingness, age (very large majority); unique moral duties, disproportionate resources, environment, progress of science, social value (majority); ability to pay, random selection, constituency (very large minority); sex (virtually none). Qualitative prognosis, quantitative prognosis, medical benefit, ability to pay, and especially age are the criteria employed today whose influence would increase if resources are further limited. Some of the ethical implications of various criteria are discussed.

A simulation model for planning services for renal patients in Europe.

A discrete-event simulation model is being developed to provide information for national and regional health planners about the effect of different treatment policies and practices on the increasing numbers of patients with irreversible kidney failure. The simulation program, written in Pascal using Pascal-SIM, describes the activities of individual patients whose progress through treatment depends on their characteristics and treatment history, as well as on treatments availability. Programming techniques have been developed to cope with the multiple scheduling of patient entities and the resultant queue-management problems. In order to provide simulation runs on request, for any population group, appropriate data is selected from the European Dialysis and Transplant Association Registry data base for use in the simulation program. Results are shown on a computer screen while the simulation is running, and are saved for further analysis to provide feedback to the requesting organization.

How available are evening dialysis services?

The availability of evening dialysis is considered important if the patient with renal failure is to return to work. Dialysis units are categorized by location and whether or not dialysis services are offered in the evening. The location of dialysis patients is compared with these estimates to determine the percentage of patients having access to evening dialysis either in their own dialysis units or in a unit in their market area. A very large proportion of patients in the working age groups are likely to have access to evening dialysis both in their own market area and in their own dialysis unit.

Assessment of resources for renal transplantation in the United Kingdom.

KIE: Statistics on treatment rates for patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) show that the number of ESRD patients per million population in the United Kingdom has increased slowly in recent years. The British Transplantation Society issued questionnaires in 1983 and 1984 to determine the number of patients transplanted, the number of suitable patients, and the facilities needed to enable all suitable patients to receive treatment. While there is a high transplant rate, the percentage of ESRD patients on dialysis is low, and there is a "socially unacceptable deficit" with respect to treatment of diabetics and the elderly.^ieng

An assessment of models of a health system.

A variety of stochastic and deterministic non-optimizing techniques have been used both predictively and for comparing policy options for patient treatment. Models of the system of the treatment of kidney patients are reviewed and are shown to be based on too small a subsystem to be useful for planning and budgeting. Other drawbacks include poor user-credibility and lack of robustness. Discrete-event simulation is shown to be the most appropriate technique which does not limit the type of distribution functions that may be used and can model patient attributes, resource use and constraints.

Deaths from chronic renal failure under the age of 50. Medical Services Study Group of the Royal College of Physicians.

From a survey of the West Midlands and Mersey Regions and the Grampian Health Board, we found that in 1978 and 1979 some 122 patients with chronic renal failure died in hospital under the age of 50. Of these, 69 had been given dialysis or transplantation, or both, while for many reasons the remainder had been considered unsuitable. While the criteria varied, the reasons given for non-acceptance of cases seemed sound, and in no instance during this particular period was a patient denied dialysis because of a shortage of machines. We think that the public should be aware of these findings and not led to think that if only enough dialysis machines were available death from renal failure would be a rarity.

St. Francis Hospital, Honolulu. Comprehensive renal disease program crosses geographic boundaries.

Six satellite facilities affiliated with one hospital enable distant residents and visitors to receive dialysis treatment. Patients may opt for self-care, assisted care, or transplantation, and receive psychological, pastoral, nutrition, and rehabilitation services.