Use of Sharesource in Remote Patient Management in Peritoneal Dialysis: A Canadian Nurse's Perspective.

Remote patient management (RPM) via 2-way connectivity addresses many challenges that the peritoneal dialysis (PD) renal care team faces when treating home dialysis patients. It addresses psychological barriers and social determinants of health by permitting self-care, increased independence, and enabling patients to remain in their community. RPM lends opportunities for patient's empowerment in self-care and treatment decisions. AMIA cycler with remote monitoring, step-by-step voice guidance, and graphic interface all contribute to patient engagement and empowerment in the Canadian home dialysis setting.

Objectives: To describe a series of unique patient cases in the realm of PD and how adopting new technology has enabled patients and clinicians to rise above challenging circumstances to optimize home dialysis, especially in patients living in remote communities.

Methods: With the introduction of RPM at Seven Oaks Hospital in Winnipeg, MB, nurses have tracked and documented examples of success on home dialysis. Despite obstacles, patients embraced self-care in the home setting with increased confidence.

Results: Included are patients who were provided support to perform reliable home dialysis with AMIA cycler with Sharesource that offers voice guidance, graphic interface, and 2-way connectivity. Patients overcame the challenges of self-care in a remote setting with physical impairments, as well as enhanced acceptance of home dialysis. The utilization of RPM by the care team promoted patient independence and confidence in performing therapy at home.

Conclusions: Our experience with this technology demonstrates an increase in patient confidence in training and RPM of home dialysis. We have provided specific case examples of patient engagement and empowerment leading to improved self-care. New technology can address psychological barriers and social determinants of health in home dialysis patients.