A Video Decision Support Tool to Assist Elderly Patients in ESRD Treatment Decision-making - A Pilot Randomized Control Trial

In the United States, it is estimated that there are approximately 630,000 patients who have ESRD with two-thirds of those patients subsequently receiving maintenance dialysis. Studies have demonstrated that the initiation and timing of dialysis for those with ESRD seem to vary widely regionally - confirming the uncertainty of the benefits of chronic dialysis in this population

Pre-dialysis education programs inform patients of all of their options allowing them to choose renal replacement therapy that is most consistent with their wishes. Recent evidence has supported using different methods of delivering education including videos to complement standard clinical care practices to promote informed decision making. This proposed study will serve to examine the efficacy of a dialysis modality video decision support tool to inform chronic kidney disease patients of different dialytic and non-dialytic therapies.