Due to high rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, African-Americans have an increased risk of developing kidney failure, also known as renal failure. To help impaired renal function, experts say patients must have dialysis treatment.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, African-Americans constitute more than 32 percent of all patients in the U.S. receiving dialysis for kidney failure, but only represent 13 percent of the overall U.S. population.

Though African-American patients get the treatment they need, Dr. Michael Kraus, clinical chief of nephrology at Indiana University (IU) Health said Black dialysis patients are also disproportionate in the type of treatment they are offered.

"The majority of people in the U.S. go to in-center dialysis. In my opinion this is the worst form of therapy we have for end-stage renal disease. The best form of therapy is transplantation, but l-in-4 people with kidney failure will receive a transplant, and the odds are greater if one is minority. In the meantime, patients should be able to have the option to do in-home dialysis. It just gives patients a better quality of life," said Kraus who is also the director of the home dialysis unit at IU Health.

Those who do in-center dialysis visit their site three days a week for three to four hours. Once there, patients are hooked up to a machine that performs functions the body does naturally and daily. Once home, Kraus said the average dialysis patient feels exhausted and ill for about six to eight hours.

Attending dialysis on one's exact day and time is mandatory for even a modicum of normalcy and longer life expectancy.

The opposite is true for patients who do dialysis in the privacy of their home. Kraus said patients do dialysis five to seven times a week oftentimes while they sleep. These patients are able to lead a more normal lifestyle, aren't hospitalized as much and live longer, happier lives. Just ask Jarvis Burts.

Burts said he was unaware he suffered from high blood pressure. In 2010, the then 3 6-year-old began to feel ill and suffered from shortness of breath. Those symptoms prompted him to see a doctor. It was there he received the bad news. Not only did he have hypertension, he was told his kidneys were failing.

To save what was left of his kidneys, he began going to in-center dialysis three days a week.

"It was the worst days of my life. The service was bad and when I got home, all I could do was sleep because I felt so bad," said Burts. "And the days I wasn't at dialysis, my toxins would build up so that made me feel bad too. It just wasn't for me."

Shortly after his diagnosis, Burts discovered in-home therapy and transitioned to that form of treatment. He does his treatments daily at a time that's convenient for him. He said he is much happier and productive.

Burts has found success with in-home dialysis, however he is only one of a small number of Blacks who take advantage of the option. According to a recent survey, white patients are 2.2 times more likely to transition to in-home therapy than non-whites. African-Americans are four times less likely to be on any form of home dialysis.

Kraus said the reasons Blacks don't participate varies.

A major, unfortunate reason is because physicians unintentionally discriminate when prescribing the course of treatment for minorities.

"They don't think they're doing it, but some treat their Black patients different from their white patients," said Kraus. "I don't think its on purpose, though."

Physicians might assume patients are low-income, but Kraus said in-home dialysis is affordable for all patients.

In the medical field of nephrology, there aren't many African-American physician advocates on the front lines either. In addition, patients who aren't in networks that offer in-home therapy must be referred to those programs. Many physicians don't want to lose patients and therefore don't give them an in-home option.

Black patients must look at the "man in the mirror" for another reason why African-Americans don't take advantage of in-home therapy. Kraus said some patients believe a professional should administer the therapy. Patients are thoroughly trained prior to in-home dialysis.

Kraus hopes other physicians find the value of in-home dialysis and shares that information with patients. The best way to reduce disproportions amongst dialysis patients is for them to become empowered, take charge of their health care needs by becoming more educated about their options and choose the best form of therapy for them.

For those who are skeptical on other issues, Kraus assures that there's no difference in cost, and the equipment is not a burden on the home's utilities.

What could improve the status of African-American renal failure patients even more is if more Blacks, either alive or deceased, donate healthy, functioning kidneys to those who need them most.

Until then, in-home dialysis is a good option.

"Daily dialysis may seem strenuous, but in the long run, it makes you feel better," said Burts.

What are the kidneys and what do they do?

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine. Every day, the two kidneys filter about 120 to 150 quarts of blood to produce about 1 to 2 quarts of urine, composed of wastes and extra fluid. The urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder through two thin tubes of muscle called ureters, one on each side of the bladder. The bladder stores urine. The muscles of the bladder wall remain relaxed while the bladder fills with urine. As the bladder fills to capacity, signals sent to the brain tell a person to find a toilet soon. When the bladder empties, urine flows out of the body through a tube called the urethra, located at the bottom of the bladder. In men the urethra is long, while in women it is short.

Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

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