| This dissertation investigated the effects of dose, vascular access, treatment time, the use of Statistical Process Control and fluid removal on the hemodialysis treatment effectiveness. Hemodialysis is an alternative to renal transplantation for people diagnosed with end-stage renal disease. In this study, the delivered dose is used as a quality indicator of the hemodialysis treatment. The study assessed the quality of service in selected clinics in the United States using Statistical Process Control (SPC) and made a comparison to the quality of service in clinics, which do not using Statistical Process Control. The hypothesis that was tested in this research showed that there was a significant difference between the hemodialysis dose that was delivered in clinics using Statistical Process Control from the dose in those clinics that did not use this technique. A linear regression model showed a moderate strong relationship among treatment effectiveness, prescribed dose, fluid removal, the use of SPC and treatment time. The study also determined the type of vascular access and the additional affect on the quality of service of the hemodialysis therapy. |
