A handheld personal communication apparatus for dialysis includes: a reader to (i) read a marking displayed on a dialysis fluid container to acquire data concerning at least one of a dialysis fluid type or a dialysis fluid volume from the marking, and/or (ii) receive a patient weight signal from a weight scale a processor using at least one of the dialysis fluid type, dialysis fluid volume, or patient weight to determine a dialysis dwell time for at least one cycle of a dialysis therapy, the dialysis dwell time being a time to achieve, over the at least one cycle, at least one of (a) a specified ultrafiltrate level, (b) a urea removal level, or (c) a creatinine removal level and an output interface providing an indication to the patient of a completion of the dialysis dwell time.
