What is the risk factor associated with COVID 19?

Some risk factors exist for respiratory distress syndrome and death such as advanced age and certain chronic conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, and organ dysfunction. Patients with end-stagekidney disease have weakened immune systems and are more prone to contracting severe infections. Hence, they form a vulnerable group at high risk of complications from COVID 19.

What are the challenges faced by patients and nephrologists?

In the face of the pandemic, patients and nephrologists face many technical difficulties including lack of feasibility for acutely ill patients, patient discomfort and challenges in providing emotional support.

Can telehealth be used for patients on dialysis?

Studies have investigated the use of telehealth for the delivery of care to patients on dialysis doing dialysis at home. A Spanish study showed that the mean admission rate to hospital was significantly shorter for the telehealth group of stable patients performing home-based peritoneal dialysis. Another study using telehealth to support patients showed it to be an economically beneficial intervention during a period of 3 years and improved health outcomes.

Can telehealth help in reducing the risk from COVID 19 in dialysis patients?

In the current health scenario, telehealth has been used for not only ambulatory chronic kidney disease care and patients on home therapy, but also patients on in-centre haemodialysis. If the patient is clinically stable, telehealth services wherever feasible are recommended for him/her. The benefits of telehealth in this scenario are quite strong and include minimized use of personal protective equipment and reduced risk of spreading infection among physicians, staff, and patients. Telehealth gives the advantage of time efficiency, increases provider availability, prevent unnecessary emergency room visits, and help reduce unnecessary transfers to larger facilities with potential of saving cost and improve patient satisfaction.

Sources: Spatz C, Ahmed W, Farooq U. Telehealth offers opportunities in the COVID 19 pandemic. Nephrology News and Issues. Nephrology. July 13, 2020. Accessed from: https://www.healio.com/news/nephrology/20200706/telehealth-offers-opportunities-in-the-covid19-pandemic