Research involving people receiving peritoneal dialysis: Lessons learned

Research involving people receiving peritoneal dialysis can pose many challenges for researchers. Personal (e.g. mistrust), logistical (e.g. infrequent contact with care team) and organisational (e.g. high workload) barriers have been identified which may dissuade researchers from undertaking work with this population. Consequently, people receiving peritoneal dialysis may miss out on experiencing the research advances seen in other clinical cohorts. It is imperative that investigators work to mitigate such research barriers so that people receiving peritoneal dialysis benefit from advancements in their clinical care. This paper presents highlights, obtained from two projects, of strategies employed and processes undertaken to mitigate barriers and enhance research quality. Both case studies observed a high percentage of the available population recruited and strong stakeholder engagement, suggesting the approach was successful. Successful approaches that were identified include placing an emphasis on building a strong collaboration with relevant stakeholders, facilitating effective communication, utilising digital and written resources, and providing patients with flexibility within the study protocol.