The Renal Agency's PDA program is focused on patients who need help to maintain their PD care – generally elderly or disabled patients. It supports these patients by offering relief through respite care or long-term assistance.

In assessing the PDA program for an award, the BCPSQC required evidence of the program's e ffectiveness, sustainability and innovation. Regarding its effectiveness, a study of the program showed long-term PDA patients have a similar survival rate and lower rates of peritonitis compared to other PD patients in the province. This is particularly significant in view of the frailty and functional limitations of PDA patients, and their higher risk for failure on PD.

On sustainability, the PDA program has been shown to help reduce overall provincial dialysis costs by maintaining patients on peritoneal dialysis who might otherwise face a transition to hemodialysis treatment, at increased cost to the provincial health system.

As for innovation, Linda Turnbull, the Renal Agency consultant who helped launch the PDA program says, "in looking through the literature we could find no examples anywhere else of programs like PD Assist that offers temporary support for PD patients who need help."

Overall, says Linda, "by providing more patient-centred care at a lower cost than conventional alternatives, PD Assist represents an effective and efficient use of limited health care resources."

"This award affirms the value of the PDA program in supporting patients with functional difficulties to continue with home-based PD," says nephrologist Dr. Mike Bevilaqua, who prepared the submission for the award on behalf of the Renal Agency. "It's also a testament to the great work being done by everyone involved in the program." 

The PD Assist program was originally launched two years ago by the BC Renal Agency as a pilot project. Based on the results of the project, approval was given by the PHSA in the spring of 2016 for the launch of the PD Assist program province-wide.