Frequency and Outcomes of Kidney Replacement Therapy Transitions in Canada

Kidney replacement therapy (KRT) is a dynamic rather than a static process. As patients’ needs, comorbidities, and social support evolve, they often transition between different KRT modalities, either by choice or by necessity. Although some of these transitions improve patients’ long-term quality of life (e.g., receiving a kidney transplant), most transitions have a negative influence, at least temporarily.1-3 Modality transitions also bear a toll on caregivers, medical professionals, and health care expenditure.