“Hemodialysis is an entire three days a week that patients commit to their health. For the rest of the week, I want them to have the best quality of life possible," - Dr. Deborah ZimmermanWhen one of Dr. Deborah Zimmerman’s patients with end-stage kidney disease starts hemodialysis, their life changes on a dime. They go from feeling unwell at home to travelling to the hospital three days a week for treatment. 

Dr. Zimmerman wonders whether starting some patients on hemodialysis more gradually at two days a week while they still have some kidney function would give them a bit more time to enjoy their regular activities. There has been very little research in this area, so she’s co-leading a clinical trial to determine the risks and benefits. 

She is also evaluating the education patients receive before and after starting dialysis, to get patients’ perspectives on the relevance of this information for planning their end stage kidney disease care. In addition, she’s leading a clinical trial to find out whether a simple exercise program is feasible for these patients, and whether it can improve their quality of life.

“Hemodialysis is an entire three days a week that patients commit to their health. For the rest of the week, I want them to have the best quality of life possible," she says.

Dr. Zimmerman was recently appointed as a scientist in the Clinical Epidemiology Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. She is a nephrologist, previous Medical Director of the home hemodialysis program at The Ottawa Hospital, Director of clinical research at the Kidney Research Center and professor at the University of Ottawa.

The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa and supported by The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.