Table 5 Outcomes on treatment burden. Annual treatment burden of patients choosing dialysis versus patients choosing conservative care, measured from treatment decision (part A). Annual treatment burden of patients started on dialysis—a subgroup of all patients choosing dialysis—measured from start of dialysis (part B)

A – from treatment decision

Dialysis (n = 233)

Incidence rate

Conservative care (n = 125)

Incidence rate

Incidence rate ratio^b

(95% CI)

P value

 Outpatient visits per person year

11.1

6.6

0.63 (0.53 to 0.75)

<  0.001

 Admissions per person year

2.0

1.1

0.57 (0.42 to 0.78)

<  0.001

 In-hospital days per person year

10.8

6.0

0.43 (0.28 to 0.66)

<  0.001

 In-center haemodialysis days per person year

60.6

–

–

–

 Hospital free days per person year^a

282.7

352.7

1.15 (1.09 to 1.21)

<  0.001

B – from start of dialysis

Haemodialysis (n = 110)

Incidence rate

Peritoneal dialysis (n = 30)

Incidence rate

Incidence rate ratio^c

(95% CI)

P value

 Outpatient visits per person year

9.0

15.2

1.80 (1.43 to 2.26)

<  0.001

 Admissions per person year

2.4

2.3

1.03 (0.71 to 1.49)

0.88

 In-hospital days per person year

14.6

14.8

1.46 (0.80 to 2.68)

0.22

 In-center haemodialysis days per person year

150.3

–

–

–

 Hospital free days per person year^a

191.4

335.4

1.72 (1.65 to 1.80)

<  0.001