WellBound Presents Positive Results From Multiple Self-Care Dialysis Studies At The Annual Dialysis Conference

WellBound, the first company focused exclusively on supporting the full spectrum of self-care dialysis therapies, today announced results of a study supporting increased adoption of self-care dialysis therapies. Findings from the study demonstrated that a large number of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients chose a home-based therapy over traditional in-center hemodialysis when provided with early education on all therapy options. These findings, which are consistent with the results of a similar study previously conducted by WellBound, were presented today at the Annual Dialysis Conference in Denver, Colorado.

Researchers analyzed the dialysis therapy selections of 986 patients with stage 4 CKD after they received early education on all available treatment options, including conventional in-center hemodialysis (HD), peritoneal dialysis (either CAPD or CCPD), renal transplant, and various home hemodialysis regimens. Results showed that 45.8% of these patients selected a self-care (home) therapy. Of these 452 patients who chose a self-care therapy, 358 (79.2%) selected peritoneal dialysis and 94 (20.8%) selected home hemodialysis. Nationally, only about 7% of all new dialysis patients select home dialysis as their therapy choice.

"Our ongoing research into the area of patients' dialysis therapy selections continues to support the position that a large number of patients will select a self-care treatment if they are fully educated on all therapy options in advance of needing dialysis and given a treatment choice," said John Moran, M.D., WellBound's chief medical officer and a leading expert on self-care dialysis. "At the same time, we are seeing an increase in the acceptance of self-care therapies within the industry, providing more and more patients access to the clinical, quality of life and convenience benefits associated with these treatments."

In two separate studies also presented today at the Annual Dialysis Conference, WellBound reported that:

-- Patients who switched from short daily home hemodialysis (three hours per day; six days per week) to nocturnal home hemodialysis (eight hours per day; six days per week) reported significant improvements in restless legs (a common problem in dialysis patients), energy and activity levels, and the ability to work and exercise. The same patients unanimously reported an improvement in their overall quality of life with the ability to pursue a "normal" lifestyle being the greatest benefit.

-- Patients who dialyze six times each week require significantly lower doses of erythropoietin (EPO) to maintain healthy hemoglobin levels when compared to patients who dialyze every other day.

"The results of these two important studies further validate the concept that longer and more frequent dialysis therapy provides patients significant clinical and quality of life benefits," stated Dr. Moran. "As interest in, and adoption of, self-care dialysis continues to increase, it is critical that we conduct studies such as these in order to compare and contrast the benefits of individual self-care therapy options and regimens. We hope that these findings will provide important points of consideration for the time when therapy selections are made."

About Self-Care Dialysis

The term self-care dialysis refers to those dialysis therapies which patients are able to self-administer outside the confines of hemodialysis centers, including peritoneal dialysis and all types of home hemodialysis. A growing collection of clinical research clearly demonstrates that the more frequent, more consistent dialysis associated with self-care provides patients with improved health outcomes such as improved mortality rates, reduced hospitalizations and improved cognitive function. Home dialysis also offers significant quality of life advantages including greater convenience, more flexible schedules, and fewer fluid and dietary restrictions.

About WellBound

Founded in 2003, WellBound is an affiliate of dialysis industry leader Satellite Healthcare. As the first company focused exclusively on the full continuum of self-care dialysis options, WellBound frees chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients from in-center dialysis treatment regimens by offering multiple, state-of-the-art "self-care" treatment options. The company's unique expertise in personalized self-care training and patient wellness facilitates a higher quality of life and improved clinical outcomes for CKD patients, while enabling physicians to offer a new, superior level of care.

WellBound
http://www.wellbound.com/