Reporting Standards and Outcomes Assessment in Dialysis Access

While the ability to conduct effective research is dependent upon creating a homogenous set of standards and language, standardization within the field of hemodialysis access has perhaps lagged behind that in other fields of medicine and surgery. This chapter will discuss the importance of creating standardized language and outcomes as well as current Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) reporting standards and their roots in earlier interventional radiologic literature. Definitions of various outcomes that we recommend when reporting hemodialysis access research will also be covered. Throughout the last several decades, various definitions of patency have been used. This chapter will make clear the difference between functional and anatomic patency. In addition to providing investigators with clear language and outcomes recommendations, the SVS has provided guidelines for operators regarding the creation of hemodialysis access as well as postoperative surveillance and savage modalities. The field of dialysis access is becoming evermore relevant in today’s healthcare climate, though obstacles with regard to creating more homogenous language and reporting standards remain to be overcome.