Currently, dialysis treatment of the kidneys typically requires three weekly hospital visits. It is expensive to society and burdensome for patients, lowering the quality of life and treatment outcomes.

Home dialysis is preferable and much cheaper, but its availability is still limited. Also, because patients typically visit the hospital for follow-up every second or third month, there is a lack of information between visits. Therefore, Helsinki University Hospital (HUS), together with VTT as a technology partner, is starting a field test to monitor home dialysis patients.

“If we could increase home treatment and have a better feeling of its safety, we could improve outcomes and raise the life quality of patients. The whole society could save about eleven million euros per year,” says Virpi Rauta, Lead of CleverHealth Network Ecosystem at Helsinki University Hospital.