Table 1.
Demographic and practice-pattern information of “Virtual Focus Group” and phase II national survey respondents
| Variable | Dialysis Opinion Leaders (n = 21) | Community MDs (n = 260) | Nurses (n = 95) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yr) (mean ± SD) | 53 ± 9 | 50.4 ± 10 | 50.4 ± 7 | 0.81 |
| Male gender (%) | 95 | 86 | 4 | <0.001 |
| Primary practice in large dialysis organization (%) | 41 | 69 | 40 | <0.001 |
| Years of experience in dialysis (mean ± SD) | 17 ± 11 | 14 ± 9 | 8 ± 7 | <0.001 |
| Based primarily in university/academic practice setting (%) | 72 | 14 | 1 | <0.001 |
| No. of dialysis patients seen/wk | 52.6 ± 26 | 65.9 ± 45 | 66.9 ± 60 | 0.11 |
| Geographic location (%) | ||||
| West | 20 | 22 | 21 | 0.91 |
| Midwest | 40 | 18 | 20 | 0.07 |
| South | 15 | 37 | 29 | 0.09 |
| Northeast | 25 | 23 | 30 | 0.73 |