Barriers to Peritoneal Dialysis in Aboriginal Patients

Background:Aboriginal people in Canada have an unduly high burden of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and many live in rural settings. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a home-based dialysis modality that may provide a valuable alternative to in-center hemodialysis which is relatively underutilized by the Aboriginal population.Objective:We aim to assess the barriers to PD utilization in Aboriginal patients with ESKD.Design:This article is a prospective observational cohort study.Setting:The setting involves 3 predialysis clinics in Winnipeg, Kingston, and Moose Factory.Patients:The patients were 99 individuals (67 non-Aboriginal and 32 Aboriginal) who were at least 18 years of age with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than 30 mL/min/1.73m2, and were enrolled in one of the 3 study sites from April 2011 to October 2013.Measurements:Patient demographics and comorbidities were documented. Barriers to PD, PD as modality choice, and Aboriginal status were assessed via patient survey upon study enrollmen...