was read the article
array:20 [ "pii" => "X2013251411052079" "issn" => "20132514" "doi" => "10.3265/Nefrologia.pre2011.Apr.10933" "estado" => "S300" "fechaPublicacion" => "2011-05-01" "documento" => "article" "licencia" => "http://www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/" "subdocumento" => "fla" "cita" => "Nefrologia (English Version). 2011;31:241-6" "abierto" => array:3 [ "ES" => true "ES2" => true "LATM" => true ] "gratuito" => true "lecturas" => array:2 [ "total" => 4435 "formatos" => array:3 [ "EPUB" => 324 "HTML" => 3519 "PDF" => 592 ] ] "Traduccion" => array:1 [ "es" => array:17 [ "pii" => "X0211699511052071" "issn" => "02116995" "doi" => "10.3265/Nefrologia.pre2011.Apr.10933" "estado" => "S300" "fechaPublicacion" => "2011-05-01" "documento" => "article" "licencia" => "http://www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/" "subdocumento" => "fla" "cita" => "Nefrologia. 2011;31:241-6" "abierto" => array:3 [ "ES" => true "ES2" => true "LATM" => true ] "gratuito" => true "lecturas" => array:2 [ "total" => 9968 "formatos" => array:3 [ "EPUB" => 301 "HTML" => 8825 "PDF" => 842 ] ] "es" => array:10 [ "idiomaDefecto" => true "titulo" => "Sostenibilidad y equidad del tratamiento sustitutivo de la función renal en España" "tienePdf" => "es" "tieneTextoCompleto" => "es" "paginas" => array:1 [ 0 => array:2 [ "paginaInicial" => "241" "paginaFinal" => "246" ] ] "titulosAlternativos" => array:1 [ "en" => array:1 [ "titulo" => "Sustainability and equity of renal replacement therapy in Spain" ] ] "contieneTextoCompleto" => array:1 [ "es" => true ] "contienePdf" => array:1 [ "es" => true ] "resumenGrafico" => array:2 [ "original" => 0 "multimedia" => array:8 [ "identificador" => "fig1" "etiqueta" => "Tab. 1" "tipo" => "MULTIMEDIAFIGURA" "mostrarFloat" => true "mostrarDisplay" => false "copyright" => "Elsevier España" "figura" => array:1 [ 0 => array:4 [ "imagen" => "10933_108_16236_es_10933_t1.jpg" "Alto" => 189 "Ancho" => 600 "Tamanyo" => 107401 ] ] "descripcion" => array:1 [ "es" => "Costes medios de la diálisis en el años 2010 en España (euros)" ] ] ] "autores" => array:1 [ 0 => array:2 [ "autoresLista" => "A.L.M. de Francisco, Angel LM de Francisco" "autores" => array:2 [ 0 => array:2 [ "nombre" => "A.L.M." "apellidos" => "de Francisco" ] 1 => array:2 [ "nombre" => "Angel LM" "apellidos" => "de Francisco" ] ] ] ] ] "idiomaDefecto" => "es" "Traduccion" => array:1 [ "en" => array:9 [ "pii" => "X2013251411052079" "doi" => "10.3265/Nefrologia.pre2011.Apr.10933" "estado" => "S300" "subdocumento" => "" "abierto" => array:3 [ "ES" => true "ES2" => true "LATM" => true ] "gratuito" => true "lecturas" => array:1 [ "total" => 0 ] "idiomaDefecto" => "en" "EPUB" => "https://multimedia.elsevier.es/PublicationsMultimediaV1/item/epub/X2013251411052079?idApp=UINPBA000064" ] ] "EPUB" => "https://multimedia.elsevier.es/PublicationsMultimediaV1/item/epub/X0211699511052071?idApp=UINPBA000064" "url" => "/02116995/0000003100000003/v0_201502091414/X0211699511052071/v0_201502091414/es/main.assets" ] ] "itemSiguiente" => array:17 [ "pii" => "X2013251411052060" "issn" => "20132514" "doi" => "10.3265/Nefrologia.pre2011.Apr.10940" "estado" => "S300" "fechaPublicacion" => "2011-05-01" "documento" => "article" "licencia" => "http://www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/" "subdocumento" => "fla" "cita" => "Nefrologia (English Version). 2011;31:247-50" "abierto" => array:3 [ "ES" => true "ES2" => true "LATM" => true ] "gratuito" => true "lecturas" => array:2 [ "total" => 8342 "formatos" => array:3 [ "EPUB" => 306 "HTML" => 7292 "PDF" => 744 ] ] "en" => array:10 [ "idiomaDefecto" => true "titulo" => "How to Treat Corticosteroid-Resistant Idiopathic Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis?" "tienePdf" => "en" "tieneTextoCompleto" => "en" "paginas" => array:1 [ 0 => array:2 [ "paginaInicial" => "247" "paginaFinal" => "250" ] ] "titulosAlternativos" => array:1 [ "es" => array:1 [ "titulo" => "¿Cómo tratar la glomeruloesclerosis focal y segmentaria idiopática corticorresistente?" ] ] "contieneTextoCompleto" => array:1 [ "en" => true ] "contienePdf" => array:1 [ "en" => true ] "resumenGrafico" => array:2 [ "original" => 0 "multimedia" => array:8 [ "identificador" => "fig1" "etiqueta" => "Tab. 1" "tipo" => "MULTIMEDIAFIGURA" "mostrarFloat" => true "mostrarDisplay" => false "copyright" => "Elsevier España" "figura" => array:1 [ 0 => array:4 [ "imagen" => "10940_108_17294_en_t110940.jpg" "Alto" => 416 "Ancho" => 600 "Tamanyo" => 158979 ] ] "descripcion" => array:1 [ "en" => "Causes of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis" ] ] ] "autores" => array:1 [ 0 => array:2 [ "autoresLista" => "F. Rivera Hernández" "autores" => array:1 [ 0 => array:2 [ "Iniciales" => "F." "apellidos" => "Rivera Hernández" ] ] ] ] ] "idiomaDefecto" => "en" "Traduccion" => array:1 [ "es" => array:9 [ "pii" => "X0211699511052063" "doi" => "10.3265/Nefrologia.pre2011.Apr.10940" "estado" => "S300" "subdocumento" => "" "abierto" => array:3 [ "ES" => true "ES2" => true "LATM" => true ] "gratuito" => true "lecturas" => array:1 [ "total" => 0 ] "idiomaDefecto" => "es" "EPUB" => "https://multimedia.elsevier.es/PublicationsMultimediaV1/item/epub/X0211699511052063?idApp=UINPBA000064" ] ] "EPUB" => "https://multimedia.elsevier.es/PublicationsMultimediaV1/item/epub/X2013251411052060?idApp=UINPBA000064" "url" => "/20132514/0000003100000003/v0_201502091638/X2013251411052060/v0_201502091638/en/main.assets" ] "en" => array:12 [ "idiomaDefecto" => true "titulo" => "Sustainability and equity of renal replacement therapy in Spain" "tieneTextoCompleto" => true "paginas" => array:1 [ 0 => array:2 [ "paginaInicial" => "241" "paginaFinal" => "246" ] ] "autores" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "autoresLista" => "A.L.M. de Francisco, Angel LM de Francisco" "autores" => array:2 [ 0 => array:4 [ "nombre" => "A.L.M." "apellidos" => "de Francisco" "email" => array:1 [ 0 => "angelmartindefrancisco@gmail.com" ] "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:2 [ "etiqueta" => "<span class="elsevierStyleSup">a</span>" "identificador" => "affa" ] ] ] 1 => array:4 [ "nombre" => "Angel LM" "apellidos" => "de Francisco" "email" => array:1 [ 0 => "angelmartindefrancisco@gmail.com" ] "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:2 [ "etiqueta" => "<span class="elsevierStyleSup">b</span>" "identificador" => "affb" ] ] ] ] "afiliaciones" => array:2 [ 0 => array:3 [ "entidad" => "Servicio de Nefrología, Hospital Presidente de la S.E.N. 2002-2008, Hospital Universitario Valdecilla. Santander, Cantabria, " "etiqueta" => "<span class="elsevierStyleSup">a</span>" "identificador" => "affa" ] 1 => array:3 [ "entidad" => "Servicio de Nefrologia, HU Valdecilla. Presidente SEN 2002-2008, Santander, Cantabria, Spain, " "etiqueta" => "<span class="elsevierStyleSup">b</span>" "identificador" => "affb" ] ] ] ] "titulosAlternativos" => array:1 [ "es" => array:1 [ "titulo" => "Sostenibilidad y equidad del tratamiento sustitutivo de la función renal en España" ] ] "resumenGrafico" => array:2 [ "original" => 0 "multimedia" => array:8 [ "identificador" => "fig1" "etiqueta" => "Tab. 1" "tipo" => "MULTIMEDIAFIGURA" "mostrarFloat" => true "mostrarDisplay" => false "copyright" => "Elsevier España" "figura" => array:1 [ 0 => array:4 [ "imagen" => "10933_108_17292_en_t110933.jpg" "Alto" => 186 "Ancho" => 600 "Tamanyo" => 101955 ] ] "descripcion" => array:1 [ "en" => "Mean dialysis costs in 2010 in Spain (¿)" ] ] ] "textoCompleto" => "<p class="elsevierStylePara">Until 1970, Spanish patients with advanced chronic kidney disease died inexorably. Since then, our health system has undergone immense development in renal replacement therapy programmes using dialysis and transplants, and currently, these patients can fortunately be treated with high levels of quality.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">The progressive increase in the number of patients requiring this type of treatment, as well as the costs it entails, has been the object of several different publications and many special issues in our <span class="elsevierStyleItalic">Nefrología </span>journal. In 1994, we put together a <span class="elsevierStyleItalic">Nefrología </span>supplement based on the conference on economic and organisational aspects of the treatment of chronic renal failure, which took place at the summer Menéndez-Pelayo University in Santander.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">1</span> Recently, another special supplement was published regarding the sustainability of renal replacement therapy that has served as information for reflection on several of the socioeconomic aspects of this type of treatment.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">2</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">Finding ourselves in the midst of an economic crisis, and looking towards the future, what can we nephrologists do in order to ensure the continuity and equity of renal replacement therapy in Spain? This is the issue that we will debate here.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE SPANISH HEALTH SYSTEM IS AT RISK</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">The life expectancy at birth from 2006 placed Spain as the highest country in the 15 member countries of the European Union, and this came at the lowest health costs as well. With a mean 81.1 years life expectancy, Spain is at the forefront of countries such as France, Italy, Sweden, Austria, etc., and the health costs (public + private) are only 8.4% of the gross domestic product (GDP), whereas the mean for the 15 countries of the EU is 9.2%, with extreme values in Luxembourg (7.3%) and France (11.1%) (Sources: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], the World Health Organisation [WHO], and <span class="elsevierStyleItalic">Instituto Nacional de Estadística </span>(National Institute of Statistics)<span class="elsevierStyleItalic"> </span>[<span class="elsevierStyleItalic">INE</span>]). However, this value rose to 9% for Spain in 2008.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">In the coming 10 years, one in five Spanish citizens will be older than 65 years, and per person health costs will range between 4 and 12 times greater than for those younger than this age. The mean annual cost per capita for the year 2025 is estimated at €2192 for people younger than 65, €8570 for those between the ages of 65 and 79, €14 996 for those between the ages of 80 and 94, and €28 479 for those older than 95 years (sources: <span class="elsevierStyleItalic">INE</span> [2009], Statistical Office of the European Communities [EUROSTAT], OECD, and WHO). Given the current growth rate, health costs could double in the next 10 years. In other words, in 2020, 50 of every €100 in public spending in the Spanish Autonomous Communities could be destined to health care, as opposed to the current amount of €35.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">3</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">One of the components in this health cost is renal replacement therapy. Although these patients make up only 0.1% of the population, they consume 2.5% of the National Health Service (NHS) budget, i.e., in spite of being a small proportion of the total population, they consume a significant amount of resources. This is the problem that must be resolved, or at least given an in-depth analysis, by health authorities and with the help of nephrologists.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">RENAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY IN SPAIN</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">According to the most recent dialysis and transplant report from 2009, from the Spanish registry of renal patients, developed by the Spanish Society of Nephrology (S.E.N.) and the Spanish National Transplant Organisation,<span class="elsevierStyleSup">4</span> the number of new patients has stabilised since 1999, with an incidence of 129 new patients per million population (pmp) in the year 2009, as opposed to 126 pmp 10 years earlier. In this group, 85.1% of new patients are treated using haemodialysis, 12.1% using peritoneal dialysis, and 2.8% using renal replacement therapy and a kidney transplant before initiating<span class="elsevierStyleBold"> </span>dialysis.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">This stabilisation in the incidence of the disease has not been mirrored in the prevalence. In 2001, 885 patients pmp were treated using renal replacement therapy, and this value increased to 1039 patients in 2009. Of the patients receiving treatment, 47.67% are on haemodialysis, 47.51% undergo kidney transplants, and 4.82% are on peritoneal dialysis.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">As we commented on earlier, the general population being treated with dialysis and transplants is aging. In the report from 2009, the incidence was 169 (45-64 years), 390 (65-74 years), and 464 (>75 years) pmp.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">For example, when comparing the years of 2008 and 2009, we observe a 4% increase in the number of patients on peritoneal dialysis, a 3% increase in the number of patients on haemodialysis, and a 2% increase in the number of patients living with a functioning kidney transplant.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">DIALYSIS TREATMENT IN SPAIN</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">Using public financing, an offer currently exists for both public and private sectors to administer replacement therapy for chronic kidney failure in Spain. According to Largo, who was the assistant director for contracting health services in the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs, it is a sector in which the public-private collaboration within the NHS has contributed efficiently to the resolution of a serious health problem.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">5</span> In Spain in 2009, there were 363 dialysis centres, attending 21 297 patients on haemodialysis (453 pmp). In 2007, 45% of dialysis centres were owned by companies such as Fresenius, FME, Braun, Diaverum, Baxter, etc. Fifteen percent were managed by private centres, and 40% were located in public facilities. Between 2005 and 2009, the number of dialysis centres managed by companies increased by 3%, the number of private centres decreased by 3%, and the number of public centres increased by 19%.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">The costs for dialysis in Spain during 2010 can be observed in Table 1 (source: Industry). These prices only include treatment during the dialysis session, and do not include medications, which must be considered separately. As we can see, the cost of basic peritoneal dialysis is the lowest, although the use of biocompatible supplements, polyglucose, and automation of the process all raise the price even above that of haemodialysis. In 2010, 53% (1237 patients) were on automated peritoneal dialysis, and 47% (1090 patients) on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">With this in mind, the presentation of peritoneal dialysis as an option must be based primarily on aspects of quality rather than costs, such as the excellent techniques for starting treatment, the preservation of residual kidney function, patient independence, nutritional freedom, reduced need for medication, etc.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">Even though renal replacement therapy implies costs during the first year that are similar to those of dialysis treatment (including all medical costs), it is the best cost-effective technique, since the cost in subsequent years is only 20% of this amount.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">HOW CAN THE DECISIONS OF THE NEPHROLOGIST IMPACT THIS INCREASE IN HEALTH COSTS THAT PLACES THE FUTURE OF RENAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY IN DANGER?</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">We can list several different possibilities:</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">1. Increase the rate of kidney transplants;</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">2. Increase the percentage of patients on peritoneal dialysis;</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">3. An honest reflection regarding the costs and benefits of prescribing medications;</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">4. Integrated management contract;</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">5. Consider the use of non-universal dialysis.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">Increasing the rate of kidney transplants</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">The actions taken by the Spanish National Transplant Organisation, consolidating the concepts already put into place by the Spanish Society of Nephrology in the development of coordinated kidney transplant programmes, has elevated our country to become the leader in cadaveric kidney transplantation. Currently, based on the transplant and dialysis report from 2009,<span class="elsevierStyleSup">4</span> 47% of the patients living with renal replacement therapy do so through kidney transplants.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">The use of cadaveric kidneys probably will not surpass the current rates. In 2009, 2328 cadaveric kidneys were transplanted, with 2225 in 2010. It would be difficult to augment this level, although some programmes do exist that could facilitate an increase to some degree, such as implementing kidney transplants from non-heart beating donors, which has produced very positive results in some Spanish health centres.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">6</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">Another possibility for increasing the number of kidney transplants is to promote living-donor transplantations, which are currently on the rise in Spain, although only modestly. In 2001, 26 kidneys were transplanted from living donors, whereas this amount rose to 148 in 2009.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">4</span> The majority of health centres have developed a sufficiently consolidated protocol for us to hope for a significant increase in these numbers, as well as new programmes such as the cross-over kidney transplantation. However, we must keep in mind that only 20% of patients receiving dialysis treatment are also included in waiting lists for kidney transplants, and so global implementation of this type of treatment is impossible.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">Increasing the percentage of patients on peritoneal dialysis</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">After kidney transplantation, (non-automated) peritoneal dialysis is the most economically viable option for renal replacement therapy after the first year. In spite of this, only 4.8% of patients were receiving this type of treatment in 2009. Some Autonomous Communities have reached rates as high as 25%, but in spite of blatant promotion of this technique (in our nephrology department, all patients that are to be treated with dialysis start out with a consultation for peritoneal dialysis), we have not been able to increase the overall number. The primary reasons for this failure are that this technique becomes considerably less effective after 2 years, it is given up by tired patients, is interrupted for kidney transplantation and, primarily, the lack of patient dedication to this technique. We must also add to this list the lack of enthusiasm presented by some physicians for this technique, which could increase significantly until all of Spain reaches mean values such as those from Galicia, Cantabria, and Basque Country.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">Drug prescriptions</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">The concept of cost-effectiveness is still far from being universally adopted by the medical community, and especially so by nephrologists. The problem we deal with is not based on whether or not a drug should be financed, or the financing of drugs that have demonstrated costs and benefits, but rather the financing of drugs that have not demonstrated them.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">7</span> A very clear example is that of phosphate binders.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">8</span> The decision made by a nephrologist can imply a cost that varies between €61 (calcium carbonate), €219 (calcium acetate), €410 (calcium acetate and magnesium carbonate), €2178 (lanthanum carbonate), and €2512 (Sevelamer). Along with other authors,<span class="elsevierStyleSup">9</span> we have defended the stance that agents based on calcium compounds should be the first choice in binders used for dialysis patients, since these are the cheapest and best tolerated compounds in the treatment of hyperphosphataemia, with similar results to other binders. Sevelamer and lanthanum carbonate have not been shown to be superior to calcium-based products. They are much more expensive and are also associated with more side effects. In the absence of a clear clinical benefit proven by these compounds, they should not be recommended as an initial therapy. The calcium issue can be easily resolved using calcium acetate with or without magnesium carbonate (this reduces the quantity of calcium with proven efficacy).<span class="elsevierStyleSup">10</span> In 2008, we spent many millions of Euros in Spain on non-calcium binders in order to control hyperphosphataemia, even when other cheaper and more effective options were available. A recent Cochrane review on phosphate binders also concluded that the most expensive compounds were no better than the cheapest ones.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">11</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">This is simply one example, and we could also discuss other concepts such as erythropoietic products, vitamin D compounds, etc. The point is that there are many ways to reduce costs. In a study from 2009 with dialysis patients, the greatest economic burden was erythropoietin (€22.6 per patient per day), approximately 68% of total drug costs.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">12</span> A more recent estimate from the region of Murcia<span class="elsevierStyleSup">13</span> showed that, from a total cost of €197 per patient per week, 34% went towards phosphate binders, 25% was for erythropoietin, 16% for calcimimetics, 3% for iron, 5% for vitamin D, and 16% for other drugs. These values have changed somewhat since then, with an increase in calcimimetics and a decrease in erythropoietin, and there is room for the nephrologist to manoeuvre, adjusting and controlling the costs derived from prescribed medications.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">Integrated management</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">This is a new process with as yet undemonstrated results, but that initially appears to positively influence the costs of renal replacement therapy. The Health Department of the region of Murcia is developing this methodology, which requires tight cooperation between the company in charge of managing dialysis care and the nephrology department from the reference hospital.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">An integrated management contract would mean state-subsidised treatment with regard to:</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">1. Dialysis treatment of any kind (haemodialysis, on-line haemodiafiltration, peritoneal dialysis, daily haemodialysis),</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">2. Medications (intra- and extra-dialysis),</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">3. Laboratory analyses,</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">4. Other diagnostics and tests,</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">5. Vascular and peritoneal access,</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">6. Patient transportation.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">As we have seen, all types of dialysis are included in this type of integrated contract, which allows the nephrology department in the reference hospital to treat the patient being limited only by the clinical characteristics and condition of the patient, and keeping in mind the objectives set forth regarding quality.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">Among the benefits provided is the indication of the type of treatment, a greater ease of administering home treatment when indicated, which includes better clinical results and lower overall costs, and an agreement that efficiency is not attained at the cost of lower quality of treatment.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">DIALYSIS FOR END-STAGE PATIENTS</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">When dialysis programmes were started, the objective was to facilitate the return of relatively healthy patients to work and society. The reality is that many patients older than 75 years with advanced renal failure have three or more comorbidities and very low life expectancy. The ethical issues must be approached with courage and honesty: should dialysis be for everyone?</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">Currently, developed countries have no limitations in the application of renal replacement therapy. This situation frequently implies that the suitability of treatment for each particular patient may not be adequately evaluated, although it is evident that not all patients can receive the same benefits from this treatment. Some studies have retrospectively analysed the survival of patients older than 75 years with stage 5 chronic kidney disease in specialised clinics for this pathology, finding that the advantages provided by dialysis are substantially reduced by comorbidities in these patients, and by ischaemic heart disease in particular.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">14</span> The study performed by Couchoud et al<span class="elsevierStyleSup">15</span> was a truly practical assessment of this subject, and using a simple grading system for comorbidity, they were able to predict the short-term prognosis of patients older than 75 years starting dialysis. In many of these cases, conservative treatment produces equal survival and a better quality of life for the patient and his/her family. This is not simply a question of making renal replacement therapy sustainable, but there is also an ethical issue in protecting a severely incapacitated sick person and the patient’s family from prolonged agony. End-stage dialysis should be reconsidered against medical treatment without dialysis.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">SUSTAINABILITY OF THE SPANISH NATIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">All the measures that nephrologists may take to control the costs derived from renal replacement therapy will be very ineffective if not accompanied by a restructuring of our current NHS model. This restructuring cannot logically be discussed in this brief editorial, but the Spanish society, and we especially, the professionals working in the health sector, must express ourselves clearly regarding the current state of affairs. We will comment on just a few of these aspects.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">Co-payment</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">Current data indicate that the rate of patients seeking medical attention in Spain is 40% greater than the mean for the 15 European Union countries.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">3</span> The logical consequences are a saturation of health services and an increase in expenditure.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">The <span class="elsevierStyleItalic">Comisión de Análisis y Evaluación del Sistema Nacional de Salud</span> (analysis and evaluation committee of the NHS) (Abril’s Committee) from 1991 produced an excellent report elaborated by all sectors of Spanish society.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">16</span> This report informed that we must adopt measures that limit the over-prescription of drugs. Acknowledging that these measures would be unpopular, participation in assuming these costs and compensation in other sectors such as pensions and fiscal reimbursements was recommended. The rule of thumb would be participation in assuming costs, except for certain groups when deemed necessary. If, for political reasons, it were not convenient to globally implement cost participation, expenditure could be analised and later reimbursements of 40% could ensue.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">The majority of European countries use health care co-payment and drug payment plans (Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden), although with one exception (United Kingdom). This idea has always been rejected in Spain with arguments of social protection and elevated management costs. In our opinion, it would be unlikely that a political group would assume this idea due to the impact it would have on elections, but we must abandon the idea of “political opportunity,” and instead adopt a concept of “social opportunity.”</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">Government health agreement</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">Professor Segovia de Arana, one of the main actors in developing the current excellence provided by the Spanish health system (founder of the internal medicine residency programme), has worked along with other very important representatives of Spanish medicine in the European Academy of Sciences and Arts to edit a <span class="elsevierStyleItalic">Libro Blanco sobre el Sistema Nacional de Salud </span>(white paper on the Spanish health system). They predict that if the political parties in Spain do not come to an agreement, the Spanish health system as we know it will be drowned in the sustainability issues that plague it.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">On September 30<span class="elsevierStyleSup">th</span> 2010, President of the House of Commons’ health committee Gaspar Llamazares concluded that two years of work had been a failure in the attempt to reach a government agreement in order to safeguard the viability of the NHS.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">Governmental restructuring</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">The debt for health products and medications on 31 December 2010 was 8.739 billion Euros, of which the Communities of Andalusia, Valencia, and Castile and Leon made up more than 35%. Many health care providers have to wait up to 600 days to receive payment, with the greatest delays produced in the Communities of Cantabria (709 days), Baleares (645 days), and Murcia (612 days).<span class="elsevierStyleSup">17</span> Although some of these areas already have a disbursement centre within their territory, it is surprising the frivolousness with which the concept of economies of scale is ignored. Very wide ranges of prices are charged for the same product, causing a rupture in the equity of the system.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara">The existence of different vaccine calendars among Autonomous Communities is a clear expression of the idiocy that permeates our health system. There are also different models for financing certain drugs for particular patient groups. For example, in Castile and Leon, a decreased amount is paid for antifungal and antiviral medications in cancer patients; in Extremadura, the overall cost of drugs is financed when prescribed to large families and patients with chronic diseases that are younger than 14 years of age, and in Valencia, the full cost of treatment for tuberculosis is financed.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">18</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">It would be logical to restructure the system in such a way that would concentrate resources, make purchases cheaper, pay for services on time, and ensure equity in the health services provided to any Spanish citizen. Currently, the financing of our health system shows major differences between the Autonomous Communities, with a €560 difference between the territory with the highest per capita budget (Basque Country) and the lowest (Baleares).<span class="elsevierStyleSup">18</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">Structural changes that involve the concept of concentration, such as attempts at synergy, shared diagnostic platforms (both imaging and laboratory), restructuring of diagnostic and therapeutic indications, and improved management (human resources, information, equipment, etc.) could be implemented in order to save costs.<span class="elsevierStyleSup">18</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">In our opinion, a restructuring of the NHS along with a Government Agreement is necessary for ensuring sustainability.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">Need for leadership</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">Our NHS has a general lack of leadership, and this is mirrored in all of the institutions that compose it. Nor does it have a governmental entity that must be answered to and that requires proper use of public resources, whether centralised or autonomic. For this, we must have a government that ensures the sustainability of our health system, and therefore, of renal replacement therapy. This government would have to exert political, economic, and knowledgeable authority for the management of national affairs.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><span class="elsevierStyleBold">Conclusion</span></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">Although the nephrology service provided in Spain is cost-effective and of very high quality, some measures which have been discussed here could be incorporated by nephrologists into our daily practice in order to ensure the sustainability of renal replacement therapy. However, our compliance with our responsibilities as vectors for health costs will be for nothing if it is not accompanied by changes in our NHS. Several of these necessary changes will not come about simply due to the electoral interests of politicians. Perhaps the first step we must take is to demand a global accord to ensure the sustainability of our NHS, both in its social (equity) and economic aspects.</p><p class="elsevierStylePara"><a href="grande/10933_108_17292_en_t110933.jpg" class="elsevierStyleCrossRefs"><img src="10933_108_17292_en_t110933.jpg" alt="Mean dialysis costs in 2010 in Spain (¿)"></img></a></p><p class="elsevierStylePara">Table 1. Mean dialysis costs in 2010 in Spain (¿)</p>" "pdfFichero" => "P1-E521-S2950-A10933-EN.pdf" "tienePdf" => true "multimedia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:8 [ "identificador" => "fig1" "etiqueta" => "Tab. 1" "tipo" => "MULTIMEDIAFIGURA" "mostrarFloat" => true "mostrarDisplay" => false "copyright" => "Elsevier España" "figura" => array:1 [ 0 => array:4 [ "imagen" => "10933_108_17292_en_t110933.jpg" "Alto" => 186 "Ancho" => 600 "Tamanyo" => 101955 ] ] "descripcion" => array:1 [ "en" => "Mean dialysis costs in 2010 in Spain (¿)" ] ] ] "bibliografia" => array:2 [ "titulo" => "Bibliography" "seccion" => array:1 [ 0 => array:1 [ "bibliografiaReferencia" => array:18 [ 0 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib1" "etiqueta" => "1" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Aspectos económicos y organizativos del tratamiento de la insuficiencia renal crónica permanente. Nefrologia 1994;14 (Supl 1)." "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 1 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib2" "etiqueta" => "2" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Selgas R.\u{A0}Calidad y sostenibilidad del tratamiento sustitutivo renal. Nefrologia 2010 (Suplemento Extraordinario 1). <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11217655" target="_blank">[Pubmed]</a>" "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 2 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib3" "etiqueta" => "3" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Mc Kindsey and Company. Fundación de estudios de economía aplicada (FEDEA). Impulsar un cambio posible en el sistema sanitario. Consultado en: http://www.cambioposible.es/documentos/sanidad_cambio_posible.pdf" "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 3 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib4" "etiqueta" => "4" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Informe de Diálisis y Trasplante del año 2009 perteneciente al Registro Español de Enfermos Renales, realizado por la Sociedad Española de Nefrología y la Organización Nacional de Trasplantes (página web SEN http://www.senefro.org/modules.php?name=webstructure&idwebstructure=128)." "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 4 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib5" "etiqueta" => "5" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Largo F. Oferta pública y privada en el tratamiento sustitutivo de la IRC en España. Nefrologia 1994;14(Supl 1):36-40." "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 5 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib6" "etiqueta" => "6" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Sánchez Fructuoso A, Prats D, Torrente J, Pérez-Contin, MJ, Fernández C, Álvarez J, et al.\u{A0}Real transplantation from non-heart beating donors: a promising alternative to enlarge the donor pool. J Am Soc Nephrol 2000;11:350-8.\u{A0} <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10665943" target="_blank">[Pubmed]</a>" "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 6 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib7" "etiqueta" => "7" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Gutiérrez Morlote J. Implicación de los profesionales sanitarios en el control de gastos. Nefrologia 1994;14(Supl 1):118-33." "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 7 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib8" "etiqueta" => "8" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "De Francisco ALM. Debemos considerar el costo efectividad de los distintos tratamientos al aplicar las recomendaciones sobre los captores (quelantes) del fosforo? Nefrologia 2008;28(2):129-34. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18454700" target="_blank">[Pubmed]</a>" "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 8 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib9" "etiqueta" => "9" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Tonelli M, Pannu M, Manns B. Oral phosphate binders in patients with kidney failure. N Engl J Med 2010;362:1312-24. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20375408" target="_blank">[Pubmed]</a>" "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 9 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib10" "etiqueta" => "10" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "De Francisco AL, Leidig M, Covic AC, Ketteler M, Benedyk-Lorens E, Mircescu GM, et al.\u{A0}Evaluation of calcium acetate/magnesium carbonate as a phosphate binder compared with sevelamer hydrochloride in haemodialysis patients: a controlled randomized study (CALMAG study) assessing efficacy and tolerability. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2010 ;25(11):3707-17. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20530499" target="_blank">[Pubmed]</a>" "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 10 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib11" "etiqueta" => "11" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Navaneethan SD, Palmer SC, Vecchio M, Craig JC, Elder GJ, Strippoli GFM. Phosphate binders for preventing and treating bone disease in chronic kidney disease patients. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011;Issue 2.Art. No.: CD006023." "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 11 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib12" "etiqueta" => "12" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Lorenzo V, Perestelo L, Barroso M, Torres A, Nazco J. Evaluación económica de la hemodiálisis. Análisis de los componentes del coste basado en datos individuales. Nefrologia 2010;30(4):403-12. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20651881" target="_blank">[Pubmed]</a>" "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => array:1 [ "Revista" => array:1 [ "itemHostRev" => array:3 [ "pii" => "S0002914912024459" "estado" => "S300" "issn" => "00029149" ] ] ] ] ] ] ] 12 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib13" "etiqueta" => "13" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Manuel\u{A0}Molina, comunicación personal." "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 13 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib14" "etiqueta" => "14" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Murtagh FE, Marsh JE, Donohoe P, Ekbal NJ, Sheerin NS, Harris FE. Dialysis or not? A comparative survival study of patients over 75 years with chronic kidney disease stage 5. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2007;22(7):1955-62. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17412702" target="_blank">[Pubmed]</a>" "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 14 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib15" "etiqueta" => "15" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Couchoud C, Labeeuw M, Moranne O,\u{A0}Allot V,\u{A0}Esnault V, French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) registry. A clinical score to predict 6-month prognosis in elderly patients starting dialysis for end-stage renal disease. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2009;24(5):1553-61. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19096087" target="_blank">[Pubmed]</a>" "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 15 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib16" "etiqueta" => "16" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Comisión de Análisis y Evaluación del Sistema Nacional de Salud. En:\u{A0}http://www.riberasalud.com/ftp/biblio/07102010131536resumen informe abril.pdf" "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 16 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib17" "etiqueta" => "17" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Observatorio del Medicamento (FEFE). Octubre 2010." "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] 17 => array:3 [ "identificador" => "bib18" "etiqueta" => "18" "referencia" => array:1 [ 0 => array:3 [ "referenciaCompleta" => "Diez Temas Candentes de la Sanidad Española para 2011. http://www.pwc.com/es_ES/es/sala-prensa/notas-prensa/2011/assets/sanidad-espanola-2011-informe.pdf" "contribucion" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] "host" => array:1 [ 0 => null ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] "idiomaDefecto" => "en" "url" => "/20132514/0000003100000003/v0_201502091638/X2013251411052079/v0_201502091638/en/main.assets" "Apartado" => array:4 [ "identificador" => "35429" "tipo" => "SECCION" "en" => array:2 [ "titulo" => "Editorials" "idiomaDefecto" => true ] "idiomaDefecto" => "en" ] "PDF" => "https://static.elsevier.es/multimedia/20132514/0000003100000003/v0_201502091638/X2013251411052079/v0_201502091638/en/P1-E521-S2950-A10933-EN.pdf?idApp=UINPBA000064&text.app=https://revistanefrologia.com/" "EPUB" => "https://multimedia.elsevier.es/PublicationsMultimediaV1/item/epub/X2013251411052079?idApp=UINPBA000064" ]
Year/Month | Html | Total | |
---|---|---|---|
2024 November | 6 | 6 | 12 |
2024 October | 61 | 29 | 90 |
2024 September | 74 | 35 | 109 |
2024 August | 76 | 75 | 151 |
2024 July | 56 | 23 | 79 |
2024 June | 70 | 43 | 113 |
2024 May | 65 | 34 | 99 |
2024 April | 68 | 41 | 109 |
2024 March | 42 | 19 | 61 |
2024 February | 38 | 42 | 80 |
2024 January | 40 | 28 | 68 |
2023 December | 40 | 21 | 61 |
2023 November | 48 | 36 | 84 |
2023 October | 42 | 40 | 82 |
2023 September | 25 | 30 | 55 |
2023 August | 45 | 17 | 62 |
2023 July | 43 | 26 | 69 |
2023 June | 48 | 26 | 74 |
2023 May | 59 | 32 | 91 |
2023 April | 34 | 14 | 48 |
2023 March | 49 | 19 | 68 |
2023 February | 38 | 16 | 54 |
2023 January | 45 | 27 | 72 |
2022 December | 57 | 30 | 87 |
2022 November | 40 | 29 | 69 |
2022 October | 52 | 43 | 95 |
2022 September | 59 | 28 | 87 |
2022 August | 69 | 43 | 112 |
2022 July | 35 | 43 | 78 |
2022 June | 49 | 44 | 93 |
2022 May | 44 | 32 | 76 |
2022 April | 50 | 55 | 105 |
2022 March | 50 | 63 | 113 |
2022 February | 39 | 60 | 99 |
2022 January | 36 | 24 | 60 |
2021 December | 70 | 45 | 115 |
2021 November | 44 | 34 | 78 |
2021 October | 56 | 40 | 96 |
2021 September | 52 | 42 | 94 |
2021 August | 47 | 33 | 80 |
2021 July | 48 | 31 | 79 |
2021 June | 57 | 26 | 83 |
2021 May | 51 | 51 | 102 |
2021 April | 192 | 119 | 311 |
2021 March | 56 | 26 | 82 |
2021 February | 89 | 18 | 107 |
2021 January | 70 | 18 | 88 |
2020 December | 42 | 22 | 64 |
2020 November | 37 | 11 | 48 |
2020 October | 24 | 8 | 32 |
2020 September | 24 | 6 | 30 |
2020 August | 36 | 9 | 45 |
2020 July | 43 | 13 | 56 |
2020 June | 28 | 16 | 44 |
2020 May | 47 | 6 | 53 |
2020 April | 34 | 18 | 52 |
2020 March | 37 | 7 | 44 |
2020 February | 37 | 27 | 64 |
2020 January | 37 | 21 | 58 |
2019 December | 48 | 17 | 65 |
2019 November | 45 | 14 | 59 |
2019 October | 33 | 11 | 44 |
2019 September | 37 | 23 | 60 |
2019 August | 29 | 12 | 41 |
2019 July | 30 | 24 | 54 |
2019 June | 24 | 18 | 42 |
2019 May | 17 | 10 | 27 |
2019 April | 73 | 34 | 107 |
2019 March | 31 | 23 | 54 |
2019 February | 21 | 14 | 35 |
2019 January | 32 | 14 | 46 |
2018 December | 76 | 37 | 113 |
2018 November | 87 | 15 | 102 |
2018 October | 63 | 15 | 78 |
2018 September | 56 | 14 | 70 |
2018 August | 35 | 19 | 54 |
2018 July | 53 | 15 | 68 |
2018 June | 36 | 10 | 46 |
2018 May | 50 | 15 | 65 |
2018 April | 45 | 8 | 53 |
2018 March | 45 | 10 | 55 |
2018 February | 39 | 6 | 45 |
2018 January | 43 | 13 | 56 |
2017 December | 56 | 6 | 62 |
2017 November | 42 | 8 | 50 |
2017 October | 31 | 4 | 35 |
2017 September | 31 | 10 | 41 |
2017 August | 36 | 21 | 57 |
2017 July | 38 | 15 | 53 |
2017 June | 32 | 13 | 45 |
2017 May | 43 | 5 | 48 |
2017 April | 44 | 8 | 52 |
2017 March | 34 | 7 | 41 |
2017 February | 28 | 13 | 41 |
2017 January | 27 | 12 | 39 |
2016 December | 70 | 4 | 74 |
2016 November | 75 | 11 | 86 |
2016 October | 80 | 5 | 85 |
2016 September | 97 | 3 | 100 |
2016 August | 185 | 7 | 192 |
2016 July | 143 | 13 | 156 |
2016 June | 96 | 0 | 96 |
2016 May | 133 | 0 | 133 |
2016 April | 88 | 0 | 88 |
2016 March | 82 | 0 | 82 |
2016 February | 94 | 0 | 94 |
2016 January | 118 | 0 | 118 |
2015 December | 137 | 0 | 137 |
2015 November | 67 | 0 | 67 |
2015 October | 128 | 0 | 128 |
2015 September | 69 | 0 | 69 |
2015 August | 66 | 0 | 66 |
2015 July | 85 | 0 | 85 |
2015 June | 74 | 0 | 74 |
2015 May | 69 | 0 | 69 |
2015 April | 12 | 0 | 12 |