Lay summary
Peritoneal dialysis provides a way for patients to do dialysis at home that can be easily learned and is lower cost than hospital-based dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis may not be possible when severe infection causes complications. About 40% of people starting therapy choose peritoneal dialysis, but serious complications cause patients to switch to haemodialysis. Only 16% of patients who start peritoneal dialysis are using the treatment at 5 years. Patients are taught to do peritoneal dialysis independently by nursing trainers and the patient's dialysis technique is one of the most important factors to achieve dialysis longevity free from complications. Despite the critical importance of patient training, there is little evidence for the impact of effective training on patient outcomes. TEACH-PD is a randomised trial of dialysis training modules for nurse trainers and patients to identify whether a standardised curriculum helps maintain patient independence and survival better than usual care.