| Abstract: | A tool for assessing the suitability of candidates for home dialysis (Jo‐Pre‐training Assessment Tool version 2.1 — JPAT) was developed, pilot‐tested at one hospital and field‐tested at two major teaching hospitals in Sydney. JPAT acts as a screening instrument to distinguish suitable candidates for the home dialysis programme, identifying patients with the greatest chance of learning to manage the programme. This study included an interview/test of home dialysis patients based on the Medical Outcomes Study Short‐Form 36‐Item Health Survey (SF‐36). JPAT version 2.1 is in the form of an interview questionnaire consisting of 38 assessment items in six domains: physical stability, nutritional status, communication ability, ability to maintain self‐care, psychological suitability and social support. Overall, results suggest that JPAT version 2.1 is sufficiently reliable to be used as a tool for assessing patients who suffer from end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), and to identify patients most likely to succeed in a home dialysis programme. |
