Home dialysis: lessons in patient education.

The concept of home haemodialysis for the regular treatment of renal failure was first put into practice in 1964, 30 years ago. It proved extremely successful. This paper describes the epidemiology of renal failure, the reasons for home haemodialysis and the educational role necessary to ensure its success. Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), or autonomous dialysis, is a self-care peritoneal treatment which developed after 1978 for a wider age range of patients. Its rapid expansion needed a professional approach to patient education. Also discussed are the problems patients encounter with conceptual skills, as opposed to the easy acquirement of practical skills and the paper demonstrates how persons, without formal medical and nursing education, can master complex treatment skills.