We are partnering with the European Kidney Patient Federation (EKPF) to strengthen their UNFOLD campaign in a joint effort to raise awareness about challenges to kidney patients’ mobility and to increase opportunities for them to travel in a post-COVID-19 environment.
Launched this year, the ‘Unmet Needs, Facilitating Organization awareness & Lead kidney patients aDvocacy’ (UNLFOLD) campaign’s aim to increase awareness about unmet needs of renal patients is closely aligned with our vision to transform renal care, offering the highest quality of care and empowering patients to live fulfilling lives. In terms of patient mobility, this means that we are committed to building continuously on patients’ experiences towards more purposeful, life-enhancing experiences – which include the ability to go on holiday with family and friends, like everyone else, with no disruption to their treatment.
Daniel Gallego, President of the European Kidney Patients’ Federation – an umbrella organisation for 25 national kidney patients’ associations in Europe, as well as a partner of the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) – said: “We at EKPF promote, encourage and facilitate mobility of people with kidney disease across Europe. Holiday dialysis programmes are essential to allow kidney patients to have free movement to travel abroad safely.”
Michaela Blomstrand, Director of Patient Experience and head of Diaverum’s holiday dialysis programme d.HOLIDAY, said: “For most kidney patients, being on dialysis requires frequent visits to a hospital or clinic. Dialysis requires access to certain equipment and skilled healthcare staff. As medical care must be ensured, it can be a challenge for them to be away from home for too long or to have the flexibility to change their routines. Diaverum’s d.HOLIDAY programme means that renal care patients can get easy access to high-quality dialysis care in another city or country – making it possible to visit family or go on holiday.”
d.HOLIDAY is our holiday dialysis programme, which gives our patients access to high-quality renal care through our global network of 450 clinics worldwide. The company’s clinic staff help patients at all steps of their holiday planning, from defining an itinerary to ensuring continuity of care at their destination.