Researchers still debate if daily or nocturnal HD are better treatments—or if the difference is really in the people who choose it. Those who dialyze at home do tend to be younger and have more education. Some non-random studies have found that people who do these treatments live about as long as those who get a deceased-donor kidney transplant (about three times longer than standard in-center HD).

The National Institutes of Health are doing randomized studies of daily and nocturnal HD right now, with results expected in 2010. And NxStage is doing the FREEDOM study to look at costs and hospital rates of home HD vs. standard in-center HD.

If you want to do HD at home, you can look for a center with home training on the Home Dialysis Central website. Keep in mind that a home dialysis center does not have to be right around the corner. After training is through, clinic visits are most often done just once a month—so the center can be as far away as someone is willing to drive once a month. Some people move to another town or drive 3 hours or more to get home HD.

Another option is to ask your doctor or center about starting a program if they don't have one. Patients have been able to advocate to get new home HD programs started all across the U.S.