Sharesource is the only two-way telehealth platform offered globally – now in 40 countries – where Baxter’s Amia, HomeChoice Claria or Kaguya automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) systems are available.

The platform allows healthcare professionals to remotely monitor and manage home therapy sessions from their offices, which includes the ability to change prescription settings without the patient needing to make an extra visit to the clinic.

The value of Sharesource was recently reinforced following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that jolted Anchorage, Alaska. The earthquake caused a major highway collapse, which limited the ability of clinic staff to check on their PD patients, including those who resided within the city limits.

“When a disaster occurs, it can be scary to lose contact with and not be able to physically reach our patients who require chronic care,” said Julie Lee, R.N. Liberty & Denali Dialysis, Anchorage, Alaska. “Sharesource gave us confidence that our patients could perform their therapy sessions because even though we couldn’t reach or talk with them via phone, we were able to monitor their treatments through the platform’s dashboard.”

Healthcare professionals using the Sharesource remote patient management platform have more frequent visibility to their patients’ PD therapy sessions. According to one observational study of 733 patients using APD devices with Sharesource, the increased visibility allows clinicians to make more timely APD prescription changes and identify possible issues earlier.

Common issues that often cause patients to drop out of PD therapy early are catheter dysfunction and peritonitis. Early identification of abnormal PD catheter flow patterns and reduced ultrafiltration volumes using Sharesource can inform clinicians about the need to mitigate problems that can lead to suboptimal dialysis outcomes.

Recent data also show a statistically significant reduction in hospitalizations for home patients using Baxter’s Sharesource telehealth platform with an APD system. While many factors contribute to these findings, remote patient management technology helps support greater communication between patients and their healthcare providers, which can improve adherence to treatment and identify potential complications before they become serious. The retrospective study across 46 Baxter clinics in Colombia evaluated 90 patients using remote patient management with an APD system, in comparison to 864 patients without the telehealth technology.

“Once diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, patients initiate a medical journey that may take them through several chronic dialysis therapies,” said Laura Angelini, general manager, Baxter Renal Care business. “Sharesource’s broad global adoption is evidence that smarter, more effective innovation can offer patients and their healthcare professionals confidence and enhanced care options along the journey.”

Source: Company Press Release