Eugene Lin, MD, MS, a senior clinical fellow at the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics specializing in nephrology, is conducting research to improve outcomes for end-stage kidney disease patients. Earlier this month, he and his colleagues analyzed two distinct aspects of dialysis and their effect on patient prognoses: ownership of dialysis facilities and the length of time between the start of dialysis and surgery.

According to Lin, dialysis clinics that are at least partially owned by nephrologists are likely to develop different care guidelines than other clinics offer. If so, this could better equip them to offer home dialysis programs or to reduce complications such as anemia, which require costly medications.

The second study, published in JAMA, showed that time spent on dialysis before a kidney transplant can dramatically increase or decrease survival rates by a matter of days.

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