How will this study help those with kidney disease?
Click above to watch a video of Fiona Loud, Co-chair of of the Trial's Steering Committee, talking about how important this study is for people with kidney disease.
Every year in the UK more than 3,500 people aged 65 and over develop kidney failure and start renal dialysis. While renal dialysis can extend life for some, the benefits and risks associated with dialysis are less clear in older people with other health problems.
The Prepare for Kidney Care study will provide the first high-quality evidence comparing the benefits of preparing for renal dialysis vs. preparing for responsive management for older people with other health problems.
It will tell us about their quality of life, how long they survive and the impact treatments have on them, their family and their carers. The results will provide high-quality, robust evidence which will be used in the future to inform patients, relatives and clinical teams when making extremely difficult decisions about whether to prepare for renal dialysis or for non-dialysis care.
People who choose to take part will help to develop this evidence, but will not receive care that is better than standard NHS care. The two treatment approaches being compared are available in some form in all kidney units involved. Patients receiving the preparation for renal dialysis pathway will have care that is identical to that provided by their local kidney team. The responsive management pathway has been specifically designed for this study, based on examples of practice that currently happen around the country.
People who take part in research often say that helping other patients and contributing to medical research makes them feel good. The Website Healthtalk includes interviews with lots of people who have chosen to take part in research (external link).