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Abstract Background and Aims Shared decision-making is recommended for dialysis choice, whereby patients are supported in making decisions regarding dialysis modality together with healthcare professionals. The intervention ‘Shared decision making and dialysis choice’ has been a part of usual care at two hospitals in Denmark since 2018. The aim of this study was to describe the choice of dialysis modality and the outcomes for patients with kidney failure, who received a Shared decision-making intervention. Method An observational longitudinal cohort study was conducted. Data was collected retrospectively from 2018 to 2023 involving 484 patients with kidney failure from two Danish hospitals one regional hospital and one university hospital. Fisher's exact tests and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to assess whether choice of dialysis modality differed significantly. Additionally, Aalen-Johansen estimation assessed time from the shared decision making intervention to treatment initiation, concordance between chosen and initiated treatment, and mortality before treatment initiation. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards evaluated the patient characteristics predicting these three outcomes. Results After the intervention, 68% chose home-based treatment, while 32% chose hospital-based treatment. With significant difference, more patients age ≤70 years, at university hospital and living with a partner chose home-based treatment. Half of the patients initiated treatment within 11 months, and predictors for initiating dialysis later than 11 months after the intervention were age ≥70 years (OR 2.52) and eGFR 15 ml/min/1.73 m² (2.80). 83% of the patients received the treatment chosen and predictors for concordance were center-based dialysis (HR 1.54), regional hospital (HR 1.52) and very mild to mild frailty (HR 1.55). Furthermore, 12% of the patients died before treatment initiation predicted by very mild (HR 3.67) to severe frailty (HR 6.42) and BMI 25 kg/m² (HR 2.84). Conclusion A high proportion of patient chose a home-based treatment after receiving the intervention ‘Shared decision making and dialysis choice’ and also initiated the dialysis choice chosen. Patients received the intervention timely and only few patients died before initiating dialysis. Our study has demonstrated that many factors influence patient choices and outcomes. Maybe routinely assessment of frailty and BMI prior to shared decision making intervention could improve the patient pathway.
Finderup et al. (Wed,) studied this question.