Pragmatic cluster randomized trials held at dialysis facilities present complex and interesting ethical issues. This training module, which was modified from the publication Ethical Issues In Pragmatic Cluster-Randomized Trials In Dialysis Facilities, (American Journal of Kidney Diseases, June 19, 2019), was designed provide you, the viewer, with a clear understanding of ethical issues that need to be addressed in such pragmatic cluster randomized trials. The research team conducted empirical studies and ethical analyses to provide expert guidance for the ethical design and conduct of pragmatic CRTs in dialysis facilities.
This work is part of a larger research project, titled “Integrated Platform for Innovative Pragmatic Cluster-Randomized Registry Trials in Hemodialysis,” which focuses on improving the experiences, outcomes, and healthcare of patients receiving hemodialysis. Conducted by an interdisciplinary research team including patient partners, this project has brought together expertise and health data assets onto an integrated platform to conduct innovative pragmatic registry trials in hemodialysis, and to translate these comparative-effectiveness trials into better practice.