Initiation of chronic dialysis for patients with kidney failure broadly affects all aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The transition to chronic dialysis is particularly challenging, with marked life disruption and exceptionally high mortality rates. Longitudinal trajectories of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in incident dialysis populations are scarce and poorly understood, especially in China. The Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study in China (DOPPS China, launched in 2011) provides a platform to gain in-depth real-world understanding of the complexities of care and outcomes for in-center hemodialysis (ICHD) patients. Leveraging the recently launched DOPPS China 7 (1488 prevalent ICHD patients enrolled to date), we aim to collect longitudinal clinical and PRO data from newly enrolled incident ICHD patients to: (1) characterize trajectory of laboratory variables; (2) assess change in PROs and (3) describe outcomes such as hospitalization and mortality rates during the transition period and first year of ICHD. We enrolled 43 sites in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai metropolitan areas (14, 15, and 14 sites respectively) in DOPPS China 7, using stratified random sampling by clinic characteristics. We plan to include >650 incident ICHD patients (median accrual/facility/year is 16) at these sites with longitudinal follow-up to characterize clinical course and optimally capture the complete patient experience. Eligible patients, ≥18 years old, will be approached sequentially for enrolment within one month of starting ICHD. Where available, clinical data will be collected retrospectively for up to 6 months prior to and during ICHD initiation. Clinical data will be submitted monthly via secure, web-based software. In parallel, we will deploy an electronic patient questionnaire (ePQ) into which patients report information directly via mobile device over the first year of enrollment. The ePQ encompasses a short version administered monthly and a longer version quarterly. Instruments were chosen based on previous validation in dialysis patients to minimize patient burden and content overlap (Table). To date, the DOPPS 7 China study has enrolled 184 incident patients. With approximately 1 year of follow-up, less than 10% have died or left ICHD. Twenty-eight have been hospitalized, mostly for HD access-related reasons. Initial results from the enriched selection of incident ICHD patients with clinical and PRO data are anticipated in 2021. We expect this innovative study to contribute meaningful new insights on the interplay among complications of kidney failure, treatment, clinical conditions, and the patient experience during the incident dialysis period in China.