Dialysis Provider Search

What Data about Dialysis Providers is Available from the SeniorCareData Database?

The dialysis database compiled by SeniorCareData is primarily based on data obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ("CMS"). We have been working for several years to keep this data current and to make it useful. The dialysis data includes information about what each dialysis provider offers, including in center hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and help with home hemodialysis. Overall ratings for providers based on multiple performance factors are used to rank providers. And, the latest results of the In-Center Hemodialysis Survey Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey are presented.

Results from the dialysis provider search will show you a ranked list of dialysis providers based on the provider's overall rating.

The dialysis database is updated periodically.

What is Dialysis?

Dialysis is a treatment that does some of the things done by healthy kidneys. It is needed when your own kidneys can no longer take care of your body's needs. You need dialysis when you develop end stage kidney failure --usually by the time you lose about 85 to 90 percent of your kidney function and have a GFR of less than 15. When your kidneys fail, dialysis keeps your body in balance by:

• removing waste, salt and extra water to prevent them from building up in the body
• keeping a safe level of certain chemicals in your blood, such as potassium, sodium and bicarbonate
• helping to control blood pressure

Dialysis can be done in a hospital, in a dialysis unit that is not part of a hospital, or at home. You and your doctor will decide which place is best, based on your medical condition and your wishes. There are two types of dialysis --peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis.

In peritoneal dialysis, your blood is cleaned inside your body. The doctor will do surgery to place a plastic tube called a catheter into your abdomen (belly) to make an access. During the treatment, your abdominal area (called the peritoneal cavity) is slowly filled with dialysate through the catheter. The blood stays in the arteries and veins that line your peritoneal cavity. Extra fluid and waste products are drawn out of your blood and into the dialysate. There are two major kinds of peritoneal dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) and Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD). Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) is the only type of peritoneal dialysis that is done without machines. You do this yourself, usually four or five times a day at home and/or at work. You put a bag of dialysate (about two quarts) into your peritoneal cavity through the catheter. The dialysate stays there for about four or five hours before it is drained back into the bag and thrown away. This is called an exchange. You use a new bag of dialysate each time you do an exchange. While the dialysate is in your peritoneal cavity, you can go about your usual activities at work, at school or at home. Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD) usually is done at home using a special machine called a cycler. This is similar to CAPD except that a number of cycles (exchanges) occur. Each cycle usually lasts 1-1/2 hours and exchanges are done throughout the night while you sleep.

In hemodialysis, an artificial kidney (hemodialyzer) is used to remove waste and extra chemicals and fluid from your blood. To get your blood into the artificial kidney, the doctor needs to make an access (entrance) into your blood vessels. This is done by minor surgery to your arm or leg. Sometimes, an access is made by joining an artery to a vein under your skin to make a bigger blood vessel called a fistula. However, if your blood vessels are not adequate for a fistula, the doctor may use a soft plastic tube to join an artery and a vein under your skin. This is called a graft. Occasionally, an access is made by means of a narrow plastic tube, called a catheter, which is inserted into a large vein in your neck. This type of access may be temporary, but is sometimes used for long-term treatment.

What Do Dialysis Providers Offer?

Dialysis facilities offer support for both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Look at our detailed reports to see which facilities provide which type of support. Many offer both. No matter which type of dialysis treatment option you choose, you will want a dialysis center that is near your home or work. Here are some questions you may have when looking for a dialysis center that is convenient to where you are.

For those who choose in-center hemodialysis the types of treatment options include traditional in-center hemodialysis, in-center self care hemodialysis and in-center nocturnal hemodialysis. Traditional in-center hemodialysis is performed in a dialysis center by trained health care professionals three days a week, usually for about four hours per treatment. With in-center self care hemodialysis, you—and your care partner if you choose to have one—will be trained by the dialysis care professionals to perform part or all of your dialysis treatment. Like traditional in-center hemodialysis, self care hemodialysis is performed in a dialysis clinic three times each week for about four hours per treatment. In-center nocturnal hemodialysis is performed by dialysis professionals in a dialysis facility overnight for six to eight hours while you sleep.

Even if you choose HHD or PD, which are both performed at home, you will still visit a dialysis center, usually once a month, to check in with your dialysis care team.

Each dialysis center is a little different. Policies and practices can even vary at different dialysis center locations in the same company. Some dialysis facilities will schedule treatments around your job or family obligations, while others will not. Some allow patients to eat during dialysis, while others do not. Some centers have internet access, patient education and exercise programs, and some don’t. You may want to write up a list of questions to take with you when you visit centers near you before making a choice.

Some providers also allow overnight hemodialysis.

Can my family and friends come with me to dialysis?

Dialysis center visitor policies vary. Under privacy rules, you will need to sign a written form to permit certain family, friends or others close to you to be with you during dialysis treatment. It may be okay to have one visitor stay with you during your dialysis treatment. A large family group might take up too much room or cause a disruption on the dialysis clinic floor. If it is important to you to have someone with you during treatment, talk with the dialysis facility’s care team to see if it can be arranged.

How to Choose a Dialysis Provider? Rating Dialysis Providers

Proximity is a major factor to consider when choosing a dialysis location. You will be going to the facility often, so it should be easy to get to and from. Look at the survey results to see what people ares saying about their experience. Then always consider the overall rating.

The Best and Worst Dialysis Providers?

We provide ranked list of dialysis facilities on each dialysis provider detail page. Use this list to compared providers. It is always a good idea to visit the facility and take tour before deciding which facility to use.

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