American Journal of Kidney Diseases
Volume 50, Issue 4 , Pages 538-541 , October 2007

Dialysis Facility Ownership and Epoetin Dosing in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis: The Authors Respond

  • Mae Thamer, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Medical Technology and Practice Patterns Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
    • ,
  • Yi Zhang, MS

      Affiliations

    • Medical Technology and Practice Patterns Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
    • ,
  • James Kaufman, MD

      Affiliations

    • Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare Systems and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
    • ,
  • Dennis Cotter, MSE

      Affiliations

    • Medical Technology and Practice Patterns Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to Dennis Cotter, MSE, Medical Technology and Practice Patterns Institute, 4733 Bethesda Avenue, Suite 510, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.
    • ,
  • Miguel A. Hernán, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts

References 

  1. Weiner DE, Levey AS. Dialysis facility ownership and epoetin dosing in hemodialysis patients: An overview. Am J Kidney Dis. 2007;50:349–353
  2. Lazarus JM, Hakim RM. Dialysis facility ownership and epoetin dosing in hemodialysis patients (A dialysis provider’s perspective). Am J Kidney Dis. 2007;50:366–370
  3. Thamer M, Zhang Y, Kaufman J, Cotter D, Dong F, Hernan MA. Dialysis facility ownership and epoetin dosing in patients receiving hemodialysis. JAMA. 2007;297:1667–1674
  4. Coyne DW. Use of epoetin in chronic renal failure. JAMA. 2007;297:1713–1716
  5. Li S, Collins AJ. Association of hematocrit value with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in incident hemodialysis patients. Kidney Int. 2004;65:626–633
  6. Collins AJ, Li S, St. Peter W, et al. Death, hospitalization, and economic associations among incident hemodialysis patients with hematocrit values of 36 to 39%. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2001;12:2465–2473
  7. Ofsthun N, LaBrecque J, Lacson E, Keen M, Lazarus JM. The effects of higher hematocrit levels on mortality and hospitalization in hemodialysis patients. Kidney Int. 2003;63:1908–1914
  8. Besarab A, Bolton WK, Browne JK, et al. The effects of normal as compared with low hematocrit values in patients with cardiac disease who are receiving hemodialysis and epoetin. N Engl J Med. 1998;339:584–590
  9. Parfrey PS, Foley RN, Wittreich BH, Sullivan DJ, Zagari MJ, Frei D. Double-blind comparison of full and partial anemia correction in incident hemodialysis patients without symptomatic heart disease. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2005;16:2180–2189
  10. Foley RN, Parfrey PS, Morgan J, et al. Effect of hemoglobin levels in hemodialysis patients with asymptomatic cardiomyopathy. Kidney Int. 2000;58:325–335
  11. Laupacis A. A randomized double-blind study of recombinant human erythropoietin in anaemic hemodialysis patients (Canadian Erythropoietin Study Group). Transplant Proc. 1991;23:1825–1826
  12. Singh AK, Szczech L, Tang KL, et al. CHOIR Investigators Correction of anemia with epoetin alfa in chronic kidney disease. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:2085–2098
  13. Drueke TB, Locatelli F, Clyne N, et al. CREATE Investigators Normalization of hemoglobin level in patients with chronic kidney disease and anemia. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:2071–2084
  14. Cotter D, Thamer M, Narasimhan K, Zhang Y, Bullock K. Translating epoetin research into practice: Role of the government and use of scientific evidence. Health Affairs. 2006;25:1249–1259
  15. Macdougall IC. Dialysis facility ownership and epoetin dosing in hemodialysis patients: A view from Europe. Am J Kidney Dis. 2007;50:358–361
  16. Cohen JT, Neumann PJ. Dialysis facility ownership and epoetin dosing in hemodialysis patients: A medical economic perspective. Am J Kidney Dis. 2007;50:362–365
  17. Kasiske BL. Dialysis facility ownership and epoetin dosing in hemodialysis patients: A US physician perspective. Am J Kidney Dis. 2007;50:354–357

PII: S0272-6386(07)01138-9

doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2007.08.001

American Journal of Kidney Diseases
Volume 50, Issue 4 , Pages 538-541 , October 2007

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