MEASURING AND IMPROVING THE HEALTH-STATUS OF END-STAGE RENAL-DISEASE PATIENTS

This highlight reports on recent efforts to develop and promote health status measurement instruments for use in dialysis units that treat e nd-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, most of whom are covered for a ll medical services under Medicare. Readers interested in a more detai led discussion of instruments, including associated data collection an d data processing aspects, should consult a recently published account , with its extensive references, of four instruments currently being u sed in dialysis units (Rettig et al., 1997). Those interested in early reports of the clinical utility of such instruments should consult th e following references (Kurtin et al,, 1992; Meyer et al,, 1994; and D eOreo, 1997).