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20 Questions to Ask a Dialysis Center Before You Start

A printable checklist for touring a dialysis center: schedules, staffing, infections, home dialysis, transplant support, and what to watch for on the treatment floor.

Updated 2026-09-29. Sources: CMS, Medicare and federal regulations, linked inline.

In this guide
  1. Schedule and logistics
  2. Staff and care
  3. Safety and outcomes
  4. Your options
  5. Comfort and communication
  6. What to watch for on the tour
  7. After the tour

A tour and a frank conversation tell you things no rating can. Ask to visit during a treatment shift, bring someone with you, and take notes. A good center will welcome the questions.

Schedule and logistics

  1. Which shifts have openings right now? Ask about specific days and times, not just what the center offers.
  2. Is there a shift that starts after 5 pm? Essential if you work.
  3. What happens on holidays or during bad weather? Is there a backup location?
  4. How long do patients usually wait to get on the machine after arriving?
  5. Can you help arrange transportation? Ask about Medicaid transport, paratransit and parking.

Staff and care

  1. How many patients does each nurse and technician look after on a shift?
  2. How often will I see my nephrologist and the dietitian and social worker? Federal rules require a full care team; ask how often you actually meet them.
  3. Who do I call after hours if something is wrong?
  4. How much staff turnover has the center had in the last year?

Safety and outcomes

  1. What is your bloodstream infection rate, and what do you do to prevent infections? Compare the answer with the center’s numbers on this site.
  2. How many of your patients use a fistula, and how do you help patients get off a catheter?
  3. Where does the center fall short on its CMS measures, and what is it doing about it? A good center knows its weak spots.
  4. How do you handle a machine alarm or a patient whose blood pressure drops? Watch how quickly staff respond on the floor.

Your options

  1. Do you train patients for peritoneal dialysis or home hemodialysis? If not, where would I go? In-center vs. home dialysis.
  2. Will you help me get evaluated for a kidney transplant, and how many of your patients are on the waitlist?
  3. Can I travel? How far ahead do I need to arrange treatment at another center?

Comfort and communication

  1. Can I bring a blanket, headphones, a tablet or food? Are there TVs or Wi-Fi?
  2. How do you share lab results and treatment changes with me?
  3. Do you have staff or interpreters who speak my language?
  4. How do I raise a concern, and who do I go to if it is not resolved? You also have the right to contact your regional ESRD Network, listed on every center page on this site.

What to watch for on the tour

  • Clean, uncluttered floor and staff washing hands or using sanitizer between patients.
  • Calm, responsive staff. Alarms should not ring for long.
  • Patients who seem comfortable asking for help and chatting with staff.
  • Clear answers instead of vague reassurance.

After the tour

Compare what you heard with the center’s page here: its star rating, 0–100 score, infection and hospitalization numbers, and patient survey results. If two centers feel similar, choose the one whose schedule and location you can live with week after week; missing treatments is one of the biggest risks in dialysis.

Sources: CMS ESRD Conditions for Coverage: patients’ rights (42 CFR 494.70), American Kidney Fund: Choosing a dialysis center, ESRD Network Program.

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