If you’re among the nearly 400,000 Americans suffering from kidney failure and in need of dialysis, you might want to go for treatment outside the U.S.
An investigation by Pro Publica has uncovered serious lapses in U.S. dialysis care. In fact, the country has one of the highest mortality rates for dialysis treatment in the industrialized world.
Medicare covers the treatment for virtually anyone diagnosed with kidney failure, regardless of age or income. Taxpayers spend more than $20 billion a year on dialysis, yet Americans often grow ill or die from the treatment itself.
Among the findings:
- Hundreds of dialysis clinics have been cited for infection-control breaches that exposed patients to hepatitis, staph, tuberculosis and HIV. Prescription errors are common, and staffers often fail to properly handle complications, such as dislodged tubing or needles.
- Dialysis centers often lack medical supervision. Clinics usually have no doctor on site, and may not have a single, full-time registered nurse. Instead, technicians with little training care for patients at centers with no mandatory staffing ratios. “The pace can be so intense, inspections show, that clinics have allowed patients to soil themselves rather than interrupt dialysis for a bathroom break.”
- Regulators often fail to enforce the quality standards that do exist. Clinics are supposed to be inspected once every three years on average, but as of October, almost one in 10 hadn’t had a full inspection in at least five years. And although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the government agency charged with monitoring clinics, can demand correction plans, it does not have the power to fine centers for violations.
- Although regulators know how dialysis units perform, patients do not have access to clinics’ rates of mortality, hospitalization for infection and other critical information.
“It’s become ingrained that dialysis is expensive and dangerous and has terrible outcomes,” said Bill Peckham, a dialysis patient. “Once you’re there, God help you. What do you expect? You’re on dialysis.”
Talk about medical errors! A dialysis clinic, by the federal law you cite, can not treat patients without an RN present. How do I know? I work in the field. While some of the above points are correct, some are absolutely FALSE! This is pretty typical dribble by someone who has no idea what they are talking about and can’t or wont take the time to find out the FACTS! Contact me. I would be glad to to give you some real facts.
What is the life expectancy of someone on dialysis?
Wow. This does just seem to be a random rambling of a writer who doesn’t really know anything about dialysis centers. Some of the concerns are absolutely tconcerns but everyone I know who works in a dialysis center is well trained and care about the patients. I am particularly concerned about this paragraph
“Dialysis centers often lack medical supervision. Clinics usually have no doctor on site, and may not have a single, full-time registered nurse. Instead, technicians with little training care for patients at centers with no mandatory staffing ratios. “The pace can be so intense, inspections show, that clinics have allowed patients to soil themselves rather than interrupt dialysis for a bathroom break.”
Also anyone can go to the Medicare.gov site and read a comparison of dialysis centers which include issues such as mortality, infection rate etc.
A dialysis center cannot legally run without an RN being present, there are absolutely staffing rations and what the heck inspections are you talking about? What the heck is it with the bathroom break thing. I have never heard anyone say “just soil yourself, I am working too fast of a pace.” There are thousands of dialysis clinics and I am sure that there a couple that are subpar just as with any type of facility but it is not the norm.
How about getting actual facts and offer actual solutions rather than spouting off incorrect information without apparently any real research. Why create
Suggest you read the original article and post your comments there. This article is just quoting from the original
http://www.propublica.org/article/in-dialysis-life-saving-care-at-great-risk-and-cost