REDUCCTION Study

REDUcing the burden of dialysis Catheter ComplicaTIOns: a National approach (REDUCCTION study)

This national NHMRC funded study is being led by The George Institute for Global Health to explore the implementation of a new intervention suite for insertion and management of central dialysis catheters.

The study commenced in 2016 and involves 4 phases
1. Building electronic data capture systems
2. Baseline data collection using newly developed system across several platforms
3. Intervention implementation (due to commence Mar/Apr 2018)
4. Post-implementation data collection

The intervention is being finalised by the main study team and includes a standardised catheter insertion site dressing technique, standardised nurse-delivered training to patients and their caregivers and preference given to the use of subcutaneously tunnelled catheters. Over 35 renal units will be involved in the study.

The chief investigators on the study are: A/Prof Martin Gallagher; Prof Stephen Jan; A/Prof Kevan Polkinghorne; A/Prof Nicholas Gray; Prof Stephen McDonald; Prof Alan Cass; A/Prof Girish Talaulikar; Dr Sradha Kotwal.

Professor Marianne Wallis, of the University of the Sunshine Coast, a Director of Alliance for Vascular Access Teaching and Research (AVATAR Group) is leading the process evaluation component of this study.   The process evaluation will be conducted at 8 sites where the intervention has been implemented with data collection occurring in phases 2 and 4 of the study.  USC researchers involved in the process evaluation include Dr Alison Craswell, Dr Deb Massey and Dr Deepa Sriram.

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