Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40685329›Full record

Observational studyNephrology (Carlton, Vic.)2025

Changes in Dialysis Practice Patterns in Australia and New Zealand During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period.

Daniela Potter, Kevan R Polkinghorne, Annie Conway, Christopher E Davies, Eric Au, Andrew Pilmore, Helmant Kulkarni, Mathew Blake Roberts, Peter Kolovos, Claire Dendle and 2 more

Abstract readObservational StudyMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Nephrology (Carlton, Vic.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Daniela PotterDepartment of Renal Medicine, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.
Kevan R PolkinghorneDepartment of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Annie ConwayAustralia & New Zealand Dialysis & Transplant (ANZDATA) Registry, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Christopher E DaviesAustralia & New Zealand Dialysis & Transplant (ANZDATA) Registry, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6595-8656
Eric AuAustralia & New Zealand Dialysis & Transplant (ANZDATA) Registry, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Andrew PilmoreDepartment of Renal Medicine, Auckland District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand.
Helmant KulkarniDepartment of Nephrology, East Metropolitan Health Services, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Mathew Blake RobertsDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Peter KolovosDepartment of Renal Medicine, Nepean Hospital, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
Claire DendleMonash Infectious Diseases, Monash Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Solomon MenahemDepartments of Rural Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6960-1370
Sradha KotwalPrince of Wales Hospital, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimThe COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread global disruptions to healthcare systems. There has been no assessment of this on dialysis practice at a binational level.

methodsA multi-centre retrospective observational cohort study using data from the ANZDATA Registry was performed, with adult incident dialysis patients (1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022). Patients commencing dialysis during 2020-2022 were compared to 2018-2019 for the primary outcome of dialysis incidence rate. Secondary outcomes included estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at dialysis start, initial treatment location (home vs. facility), modality (haemodialysis vs. peritoneal dialysis), haemodialysis access, frequency, and duration. Commencement during lockdown in 2020-2021 was also analysed.

results11 690 patients commenced dialysis during 2020-2022 and 7366 commenced during 2018-2019, with no differences in incidence rate across the pandemic years (2020: p = 0.163, 2021: p = 0.139, 2022: p = 0.190). Compared to pre-pandemic years, uptake of home-based therapies was higher in 2020 (OR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.06-1.27, p = 0.002) with no difference in 2021 and 2022. Peritoneal dialysis uptake was higher in 2020 (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.04-1.26, p = 0.005) and 2021 (OR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.21, p = 0.037) with no difference in 2022. Haemodialysis patients were less likely to commence with an arteriovenous fistula or graft in 2022, compared to pre-pandemic years (OR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.78-0.96, p = 0.005). Odds of commencing haemodialysis with an arteriovenous fistula or graft were reduced during lockdown (OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.65-0.95, p = 0.014).

conclusionThere was no change in the incidence rate of dialysis patients during 2020-2022, although there were differences in home dialysis uptake and starting access type.

Indexed as

COVID-19Kidney Failure, ChronicPractice Patterns, Physicians'Renal DialysisAdultAgedAustraliaFemaleHemodialysis, HomeHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedNew ZealandPandemicsPeritoneal Dialysisclinical practice patternsCOVID‐19delivery of healthcarehealth services administrationrenal dialysis

Identifiers

PMID40685329
PMCPMC12277125

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.