The Peritoneal Dialysis Telemedicine-assisted Platform Cohort (PDTAP) Study: Design and methods

Objectives: The primary objective of the Peritoneal Dialysis Telemedicine-assisted Platform Cohort (PDTAP) Study is to explore potential predictors and their effects on patient survival, technique survival, and the occurrence of infectious and noninfectious complications. Design: The PDTAP study is a national-level cohort study in China. A newly developed PD telemedicine application provided a unique and convenient way to collect multicenter, structured data across units. Setting: The PDTAP study was underway in 27 hospitals from 14 provinces located at 7 geographical regions (northwest, northeast, north, central, southwest, southeast, and south) in China. Participants: Our study aims to enroll at least 7000 adult patients with end-stage renal disease receiving PD. Methods: Approval has been obtained through the ethics committees of all hospitals. All participants signed the informed consent form after the center had received ethics board approval in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Main outcome measures: Patient survival, technique survival, hospitalization, and the occurrence of infectious and noninfectious complications. Conclusions: The PDTAP study aims to explore potential predictors and their effects on patient survival, technique survival, and infectious and noninfectious complications using a newly developed PD telemedicine system to collect multicenter, structured data in real-world practice. Substantial and transformable findings in relation to PD practices were expected. This study also developed a national-level infrastructure for further collaboration and ancillary investigation.