Dialysis Transport

[coco3299]

I would like to ask a question for those dialysis nurses out there working or have worked in an outpatient clinic. How do your patients get to Dialysis. I know many times I see patients admitted to the floor because they are in overload for missing their appointments due to lack of transportation. My question is are there any companies out there that bring these patients there or do they usually rely on family? What percentage of the patients that you see either need or have a transport service? Any details welcome.

Thanks,

CC

[coco3299]

So when the patients have transporation, I am sure the company does not wait and they have more than one patient, right? So do they usually spend some time waiting on other patients to get finished being dialyzed before the transport comes back after making a few more runs, or how does that part work?

[workingmomRN]

The transport van works their routes to pick up people who live in the same area together. They usually have a set amount of time that they will wait for the person to come out, about 10-15 minutes, then they have to leave because they have other people to pick up as well. After they drop off one group of patients, they leave to get other passengers. Later they will pick up the morning patients to go home as they bring in second shift patients. In between the patients, they have other people & school children as well that they carry. The dialysis centers & the transport vans have to work together on schedules for patients who require van transport. In larger towns where there are alot more vans running, it is not as hard, but in small towns where transportation options are limited, it can be difficult to find a way to accommodate this.