Machine Learning Models for Predicting Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Hemodialysis (HD) patients have significantly higher mortality rates compared to the general population, primarily due to complex comorbidities. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate and compare the performance of various machine learning (ML) models in predicting mortality among HD patients. Methods: The analysis followed PRISMA guidelines, including studies that assessed the predictive capabilities of ML models for mortality in HD patients. Review Manager software version 5.4.1. was used for meta-analysis, and the performance of ML models was compared, including logistic regression, XGBoost, and Random Forest models. Results: The meta-analysis indicated that the logistic regression model predicted a true positive mortality rate of 8.23%, close to the actual rate of 10.53%. In contrast, the XGBoost and Random Forest models predicted rates of 9.93% and 8.94%, respectively, compared to the actual mortality rate of 13.73%. The highest area under the curve (AUC) was reported for the Random Forest model at a 3-year follow-up (AUC = 0.89). No significant difference was found between the performance of logistic regression and Random Forest models (p = 0.82). Conclusions: ML models, particularly Random Forest and logistic regression, demonstrated effective predictive capabilities for mortality in HD patients. These models can help identify high-risk patients early, facilitating personalized treatment strategies and potentially improving long-term outcomes. However, the observed heterogeneity among studies indicates a need for further research to refine model performance and standardize predictive features.