PDOPPS: Unifying Efforts to Inform Practice and Improve Global Outcomes in Peritoneal Dialysis

The Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS) is designed to advance the understanding of optimal practices for peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. In a paper published recently in the journal Peritoneal Dialysis International, researchers describe their methods to collect and analyze data that will lead to improved patient care.

Dr. Francesca Tentori, one of the authors of this paper, noted, “PDOPPS leverages over 19 years of experience from the DOPPS study of in-center hemodialysis to improve knowledge of PD practices across the globe and identify those that are associated with improved experience for patients and clinical outcomes.”

Launched in 2013, PDOPPS is coordinated by Arbor Research Collaborative for Health in collaboration with the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD). Data is collected in Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Each country is enrolling a random sample of patients from national samples of 20 to 80 clinical sites with at least 20 patients on PD. Enrolled patients will be followed over an initial 3-year study period.

Even at this early stage, the PDOPPS sample already represents the largest international study of PD patients. With data collected, the study will serve as an invaluable resource and research platform for the international PD community, and provide a means to understand variation in PD practices and outcomes, to identify optimal practices, and to ultimately improve outcomes for PD patients.