This was an unprecedented exercise, undertaken in light of significant variation between Scottish NHS Health Boards in the proportion of patients who receive haemodialysis (HD) using tunneled central venous catheters rather than through arteriovenous (AV) access. Low rates of AV access generate a substantial burden of morbidity and mortality risk for patients and considerable financial cost for health care providers. This project sought to understand the reasons for variation between health boards and design strategies to maximise AV access use for haemodialysis.

Scottish Haemodialysis Vascular Access Appraisal