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Welcome to the 4th Australia and New Zealand Home Therapies Conference in Sydney

Yvonne Shen Conference Chair, Organising Committee

On behalf of the organising committee, I would like to welcome you to the fourth Australia and New Zealand Home Therapies Conference in Sydney, New South Wales, on March the 14th to 16th 2012. The first was held in Christchurch 2004, followed by Geelong in 2007 then Brisbane 2010. This conference has recognised the need to discuss and learn about innovative ways to help people achieve home based dialysis therapies. Given the success of the previous meetings, the theme of this conference is "Breaking down the Barriers".

We have three invited overseas speakers, Professor Robert Lockridge from the University of West Virginia, started the nocturnal home haemodialysis program September 1997. It is the first and largest nocturnal home haemodialysis program in the United States. Professor Judith Bernardini from the University of Pittsburgh started as a clinical research nurse in 1982, Judith's primary focus has been on PD research and improving outcomes for PD patients. Professor Tao Wang from the Peking University has focused on the rehabilitation aspect of dialysis patients and has developed a model of a primary nursing system for the management of patients on peritoneal dialysis.

The home therapies conference has endeavoured to formulate a program which should interest medical, nursing, allied health care workers, consumers, carers and technical staff involved in home therapies. The local organising committee has a range of members which will demonstrate the diverse skills and innovative programs which exist throughout new South Wales. I would also like to personally thank the Haemodialysis Advisory Committee (HDAC) which has been integral in setting up the conference and who's support has maintained the success of these conferences.

The meeting is being held at the Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach which is located 13 minutes south of the Sydney central business district (CBD), on the western shore of Botany Bay. There are multiple options for accommodation within the CBD and also close to the conference including the Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach.

We hope we will not only learn and share
from each other's experiences, research
and innovative ideas but will also enjoy the conference and Sydney's beautiful city.