EQ-5D in dialysis units: a PROM with a view

Summary
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a silent worldwide epidemic responsible for a high clinical and socioeconomic burden. Beyond disease-related outcomes, there is an urgent need for clinicians to focus on implementation of validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in routine care practice. This updated concept of high-quality renal care implies a changing paradigm, with a focus on patient experiences and health-related quality of life (HRQL) measures. This is even more crucial in end-stage renal disease, where adequate dialysis should aim at a multidimensional approach instead of only analytical targets. It is vital to emphasize interventions that positively affect the quality of life of the patient with CKD beyond improving their survival. Although the importance of using HRQL measures is well established, there has been resistance to their use in routine care. There are numerous tools to assess HRQL, but not all are easy to apply. It is essential to overcome these possible barriers and better adequate the HRQL tools to the patients. The shorter and simpler instruments are more appealing, as well as the electronic health questionnaires. The EuroQol-5 Dimensions tool (EQ5D) is a standardized measure of health status, is simple and quick, and provides information that can be used in economic assessments of healthcare.In this era of limited health resources, cost analysis and economic evaluations are becoming increasingly relevant. In dialysis units, sustainability management should include a pathway of integrated care, including home and center dialysis, that values the better adjustment of prescriptions to the individual patient. The authors advocate using the EQ5D to support this pathway of quality in dialysis units toward global health gains. The EQ5D is a PROM with a view centered on patient and sustainable health services.