Kinetics and quality assurance: prescription therapy through kinetic modeling.

: With recent startling statistics showing an increase in mortality risk of dialysis patients in the United States compared to other countries, managers and practitioners have been motivated to carefully examine not only the dialysis prescription, but what is actually delivered to the patient. In October 1990, prior to ANNA's Clinical Concerns in Nephrology meetings in Cincinatti and San Antonio, attendants were invited to participate in an education session examining the monitoring and evaluation of prescription therapy for peritoneal and hemodialysis. The title of the session was "The Nurse's Role in Prescription Therapy--What Does it Really Mean?" The sponsor was Fresenius USA, Inc. This educational offering gave the nephrology nurse the opportunity to learn how to manage the delivery of care based on the theory of kinetic modeling for peritoneal and hemodialysis therapy. Quality assurance indicators, data collection tools, and the latest technology were described for the monitoring and evaluation of the adequacy of therapy. The following article is adopted from the original transcripts of the five-member panel of experts who participated in the session. We appreciate the willingness of the speakers to share this timely and important material with the ANNA Journal readers.