Page 24 - GHES-3-2

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Retrospective analysis of dialysis and kidney transplant

care, particularly for patients in remote areas, ultimately restoring normal kidney function and significantly
enhancing patient QoL (Santosh et al., 2024). improving QoL.
5.2. Digital health tools The primary advantage of a kidney transplant is its
cost-effectiveness. While the upfront costs of transplant
Mobile health apps that track dialysis schedules, medication surgery and post-operative care can be high, long-term
adherence, dietary intake, and symptom management can costs are often lower than dialysis due to the reduced need
empower patients to take control of their care, leading to for frequent treatments and hospitalizations. In addition,
better disease management and improved QoL (Santosh kidney transplants significantly improve patient QoL
et al., 2024). compared to dialysis, evidenced by better health, increased
Online support communities can provide platforms energy levels, and greater freedom compared to the
for patients to connect and share experiences, fostering constraints of dialysis. Transplant patients also have better
emotional support and better connection with the survival rates than those on dialysis, particularly with well-
physician and ensuring patient adherence to therapy matched living donors (Rosselli et al., 2015).
(Santosh et al., 2024). However, the procedure carries surgical risks, including
5.3. Robotics and automation complications related to anesthesia and rejection of
the transplanted kidney. Moreover, patients must take
Robotic systems that automate certain aspects of dialysis immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection, which
(e.g., preparation and monitoring) can reduce human can lead to increased vulnerability to infections and other
error and increase the efficiency of the process, thereby health issues. Notwithstanding, there is a significant
enhancing patient safety and reducing operational costs shortage of donor organs, leading to long waiting times for
(Santosh et al., 2024). transplants (Rosselli et al., 2015).
In kidney transplantation, robotic-assisted surgery can 6.2. Dialysis
lead to less invasive procedures, shorter recovery times,
and potentially fewer complications, improving QoL and Dialysis is a procedure that artificially removes waste and
reducing hospital costs (Santosh et al., 2024). excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys can no longer
perform these functions. As discussed, there are two main
5.4. Genomics and personalized medicine types of dialysis (HD and PD), each with their respective
Advances in genomics can personalize treatment strategies advantages and disadvantages.
based on individual genetic profiles. Personalized medicine, Dialysis can be started quickly without the need
or precision medicine, tailors medical treatment to the for surgery or a waiting period for an organ donor. In
individual characteristics of each patient, primarily using addition, patients can choose between in-center HD and
genetic profiling and biomarker identification. This approach home-based PD, providing some control over treatment
allows healthcare providers to understand how genetic schedules. Compared to kidney transplants and surgical
variations influence disease risk and treatment responses. For interventions, dialysis generally involves fewer immediate
kidney transplant patients, personalized immunosuppressive health risks (Rosselli et al., 2015).
therapies can reduce rejection rates and side effects.
Nonetheless, dialysis is often more expensive over time
Santosh et al. (2024) discussed how genetic factors due to the need for regular treatments (usually 3 times
contribute to the susceptibility and progression of CKD, a week for HD) and ongoing medical care. Besides that,
highlighting the importance of understanding the genetic patients may experience fatigue, dietary restrictions, and
basis of the disease. They emphasize the potential for genomics limitations on travel and activities due to the frequency of
to enable personalized treatment approaches, tailoring treatments (Rosselli et al., 2015).
interventions based on an individual’s genetic makeup. In
addition, they explored the possibility of using genomic data 7. QoL analysis of patients
to identify biomarkers that can improve early diagnosis and 7.1. QoL analysis of dialysis patients
risk assessment in CKD (Gordon & Sehgal, 2000).
The QoL of dialysis patients was assessed using the Kidney
6. Cost-effectiveness of the two therapies Disease QoL-36 survey, which evaluates the overall health
of patients undergoing the dialysis procedure. This survey
6.1. Kidney transplant
includes various questions about the patient’s health and
A kidney transplant involves surgically placing a healthy daily life, helping the physician or the interviewer to
kidney from a donor into a patient with ESRD, thereby identify potential challenges the patient faces with dialysis.

Volume 3 Issue 2 (2025) 16 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.4639