Quality of Chronic Kidney Disease Management in Canadian Primary Care

Describing primary care patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic across Canada: a quasi-experimental pre-post design cohort study using national practice-based research network data

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to analyse how the pandemic affected primary care access and comprehensiveness in chronic disease management by comparing primary care patterns before and during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

We conducted a quasi-experimental pre-post design cohort study and reported indicators for the 21 months before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

SETTING

We used electronic medical record data from primary care clinics enrolled in the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2021.

POPULATION

The study population included patients (n=919 928) aged 18 years or older with at least one primary care contact from 12 March 2018 to 12 March 2020, in Canada.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The study indicators included three indicators measuring access to primary care (encounters, blood pressure measurements and lab tests) and three for comprehensiveness (diagnoses, non-COVID-19 vaccines administered and referrals).

RESULTS

67.3% of the cohort was aged ≥40 years, 56.4% were female and 53.5% were from Ontario, Canada. Fewer patients received an encounter during the pandemic (91.5% to 81.5%), while the median (IQR) number of encounters remained the same (5 (2-1)) for those with access. Fewer patients received a blood pressure measurement (47.9% to 31.8%), and patients received fewer measurements during the pandemic (2 (1-4) to 1 (0-2)).

CONCLUSIONS

Encounters with primary care remained consistent during the pandemic, but in-person care, such as lab tests and blood pressure measurements, decreased. In-person care indicators followed temporally to national COVID-19 case counts during the pandemic.

Role of primary care in enhancing continuity of care for adolescents and young adults with chronic kidney disease undergoing transition to adult health services

The transition from pediatric to adult health care is a vulnerable period for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with chronic conditions as it involves a multitude of changes and challenges while they enter adulthood. The transition to adult care can be particularly challenging for AYA living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to the complex care needed for treatment. Continuity of care is crucial for a successful transition to adult health care. The aim of this educational review is to discuss the potential role of primary care providers in the transition from pediatric to adult health services for AYA with CKD and kidney failure treated with dialysis and/or transplant. We address the significance of the medical home model and how it can provide continuity of care for AYA with CKD. Primary care providers can enhance care for AYA with chronic conditions by providing continuity of care, reducing exacerbation of chronic health conditions, providing holistic care, and fostering collaboration with specialists. Despite their vital role, primary care providers face barriers in maintaining this continuity, necessitating further attention and support in this area. By addressing these barriers and encouraging primary care providers to work alongside pediatric and adult nephrologists during the transition to adult health care, there are significant opportunities to improve the care and health outcomes of AYA with CKD.

Digital Health Interventions for Quality Improvements in Chronic Kidney Disease Primary Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant public health issue globally. The importance of its timely identification and early intervention is paramount. However, a systematic approach for early CKD management in the primary care setting is currently lacking, receiving less attention compared to upstream risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension. This oversight may lead to a failure in meeting quality-of-care indicators. Digital health interventions (DHIs), which leverage digital tools to enhance healthcare delivery, have shown effectiveness in managing chronic diseases and improving the quality, safety, and efficiency of primary care. Our research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of DHIs in the care process, focusing on their reach, uptake, and feasibility.

METHODS

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing DHIs' effectiveness in CKD patient care among adults in primary care settings. The search, conducted on 30 June 2023, included studies published in English from 1 January 2009. Screening was conducted using Covidence, adhering to Cochrane's guidelines for data extraction. We primarily evaluated changes in care processes (testing, documentation, medication use, etc.) and the use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi), referrals, among others. Multilevel meta-analysis was employed to address within-study clustering, and meta-regression analyzed the impact of study characteristics on heterogeneity in effect sizes. Clinical endpoints were recorded where available. Bias risk was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. Data on reach, uptake, and feasibility were narratively summarized. The study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023449098).

RESULTS

From 679 records, 12 RCTs were included in the narrative synthesis, and 6 studies (encompassing 7 trials) in the meta-analysis. The trials indicated a -0.85% change (95%CI, -5.82% to 4.11%) in the proportion of patients receiving desired care. This result showed considerable heterogeneity (I2 = 91.9%). One study characteristic (co-intervention, education) correlated with larger effects. Although including co-intervention in multivariable meta-regression was significant, it did not diminish heterogeneity. The reported reach varied and was not high, while the uptake was relatively high. Most studies did not explicitly address feasibility, though some statements implied its evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS

The current literature on the impact of DHIs in community-based CKD care is limited. The studies suggest a non-significant effect of DHIs on enhancing CKD management in community settings, marked by significant heterogeneity. Future research should focus on rigorous, methodologically sound implementations to better assess the effectiveness of DHIs in the primary care management of CKD.

Clinical Decision Support Tools in the Electronic Medical Record

The integration of clinical decision support (CDS) tools into electronic medical record (EMR) systems has become common. Although there are many benefits for both patients and providers from successful integration, barriers exist that prevent consistent and effective use of these tools. Such barriers include tool alert fatigue, lack of interoperability between tools and medical record systems, and poor acceptance of tools by care providers. However, successful integration of CDS tools into EMR systems have been reported; examples of these include the Statin Choice Decision Aid, and the Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE). This article reviews the history of EMR systems and its integration with CDS tools, the barriers preventing successful integration, and the benefits reported from successful integration. This article also provides suggestions and strategies for improving successful integration, making these tools easier to use and more effective for care providers.

Differences in the epidemiology, management and outcomes of kidney disease in men and women

Improved understanding of differences in kidney disease epidemiology, management and outcomes in men and women could help nephrologists to better meet the needs of their patients from a sex- and gender-specific perspective. Evidence of sex differences in the risk and outcomes of acute kidney injury is mixed and dependent on aetiology. Women have a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3-5 than men, whereas men have a higher prevalence of albuminuria and hence CKD stages 1-2. Men show a faster decline in kidney function, progress more frequently to kidney failure and have higher mortality and risk of cardiovascular disease than women. However, the protective effect of female sex is reduced with CKD progression. Women are less likely than men to be aware of, screened for and diagnosed with CKD, started on antiproteinuric medication and referred to nephrologist care. They also consistently report a poorer health-related quality of life and a higher symptom burden than men. Women experience greater barriers than men to access the waiting list for kidney transplantation, particularly with respect to older age and obesity. However, women also have longer survival than men after transplantation, which may partly explain the comparable prevalence of transplantation between the sexes.

Why do we keep ignoring sex in kidney disease?

Throughout the history of nephrology, little attention has been paid to the sex and gender differences in kidney disease. This lack of awareness prevents optimal diagnosis and management of kidney disease. In today's world of precision medicine, it is imperative to appreciate the differential factors regarding gender and kidney disease. This editorial summarizes the up-to-date literature regarding sex and gender differences in kidney disease and considers areas where knowledge is incomplete and where further research is needed. We address sex-specific effects on chronic kidney disease epidemiology; risks of dialysis underdosing and medication overdosing in women; unexplained loss of female sex advantage in life expectancy during dialysis, and impact of sex on diagnosis and management of genetic kidney disease. We also aim to highlight the impact of gender on kidney health and raise awareness of disparities that may be faced by women, and transgender and gender-diverse persons when a male-model approach is used by healthcare systems. By understanding the link between sex and kidney disease, kidney specialists can improve the care and outcomes of their patients. In addition, research on this topic can inform the development of targeted prevention and intervention strategies that address the specific needs and risk factors of different populations.

Direct mapping of kidney function by DCE-MRI urography using a tetrazinanone organic radical contrast agent

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI) are ongoing global health burdens. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the gold standard measure of kidney function, with clinical estimates providing a global assessment of kidney health without spatial information of kidney- or region-specific dysfunction. The addition of dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to the anatomical imaging already performed would yield a 'one-stop-shop' for renal assessment in cases of suspected AKI and CKD. Towards urography by DCE-MRI, we evaluated a class of nitrogen-centered organic radicals known as verdazyls, which are extremely stable even in highly reducing environments. A glucose-modified verdazyl, glucoverdazyl, provided contrast limited to kidney and bladder, affording functional kidney evaluation in mouse models of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and folic acid-induced nephropathy (FAN). Imaging outcomes correlated with histology and hematology assessing kidney dysfunction, and glucoverdazyl clearance rates were found to be a reliable surrogate measure of GFR.

Poor adherence to clinical practice guidelines: A call to action for increased albuminuria testing in patients with type 2 diabetes

We describe the substantial shortfall in adherence to guideline-recommended albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) testing for people in the United States with type 2 diabetes. Poor compliance with current guidelines leads to delays in diagnosis-and treatment- of chronic kidney disease, which adversely affects clinical outcomes and contributes to incremental economic burden.

[Development of quality indicators for the care of patients with chronic kidney disease : Results of a structured consensus process using the Delphi technique]

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common condition, especially in the elderly. In order to prevent progression and complications of the disease, guideline-adherent outpatient care of patients with CKD should be prioritized. Quality indicators (QIs) can be used to measure and evaluate the quality of ambulatory care for patients with CKD. QIs specifically made for evaluating CKD care in Germany are not yet available. The goal of this work was to develop QIs for the quality assessment of outpatient care for patients over the age of 70 with CKD not requiring dialysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

QIs were operationalized from the recommendations of the German national guideline for CKD and others were proposed based on a published review of international QIs. The resulting QIs were divided into sets based on routine data (e.g., health insurance billing data) and data collection in practices (chart review). A panel of experts from various disciplines as well as a patient representative evaluated the proposed QIs in a two-stage Delphi process via online survey in October 2021 and January 2022 and a final consensus conference in March 2022. In addition, ranking lists of the most important QIs from each set were created.

RESULTS

An incidence indicator and a prevalence indicator were established; these were not subject to vote. Further, 21 QIs were voted upon by the expert panel. The seven most important QIs in each set (billing data or chart review) were selected. Only one QI was rated by the expert panel as not suitable for additional use in adults under the age of 70 years.

DISCUSSION

The QIs will enable the evaluation of the quality of outpatient care for patients with CKD with the long-term aim of optimizing guideline-adherent outpatient care.

Management of Type 2 Diabetic Kidney Disease in 2022: A Narrative Review for Specialists and Primary Care

Purpose of review

Kidney disease is present in almost half of Canadian patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and it is also the most common first cardiorenal manifestation of T2D. Despite clear guidelines for testing, opportunities are being missed to identify kidney diseases, and many Canadians are therefore not receiving the best available treatments. This has become even more important given recent clinical trials demonstrating improvements in both kidney and cardiovascular (CV) endpoints with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and a nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, finerenone. The goal of this document is to provide a narrative review of the current evidence for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) that supports this new standard of care and to provide practice points.

Sources of information

An expert panel of Canadian clinicians was assembled, including 9 nephrologists, an endocrinologist, and a primary care practitioner. The information the authors used for this review consisted of published clinical trials and guidelines, selected by the authors based on their assessment of their relevance to the questions being answered.

Methods

Panelists met virtually to discuss potential questions to be answered in the review and agreed on 10 key questions. Two panel members volunteered as co-leads to write the summaries and practice points for each of the identified questions. Summaries and practice points were distributed to the entire author list by email. Through 2 rounds of online voting, a second virtual meeting, and subsequent email correspondence, the authors reached consensus on the contents of the review, including all the practice points.

Key findings

It is critical that DKD be identified as early as possible in the course of the disease to optimally prevent disease progression and associated complications. Patients with diabetes should be routinely screened for DKD with assessments of both urinary albumin and kidney function. Treatment decisions should be individualized based on the risks and benefits, patients' needs and preferences, medication access and cost, and the degree of glucose lowering needed. Patients with DKD should be treated to achieve targets for A1C and blood pressure. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade and treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors are also key components of the standard of care to reduce the risk of kidney and CV events for these patients. Finerenone should also be considered to further reduce the risk of CV events and chronic kidney disease progression. Education of patients with diabetes prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors and/or finerenone is an important component of treatment.

Limitations

No formal guideline process was used. The practice points are not graded and are not intended to be viewed as having the weight of a clinical practice guideline or formal consensus statement. However, most practice points are well aligned with current clinical practice guidelines.

Defining measures of kidney function in observational studies using routine health care data: methodological and reporting considerations

The availability of electronic health records and access to a large number of routine measurements of serum creatinine and urinary albumin enhance the possibilities for epidemiologic research in kidney disease. However, the frequency of health care use and laboratory testing is determined by health status and indication, imposing certain challenges when identifying patients with kidney injury or disease, when using markers of kidney function as covariates, or when evaluating kidney outcomes. Depending on the specific research question, this may influence the interpretation, generalizability, and/or validity of study results. This review illustrates the heterogeneity of working definitions of kidney disease in the scientific literature and discusses advantages and limitations of the most commonly used approaches using 3 examples. We summarize ways to identify and overcome possible biases and conclude by proposing a framework for reporting definitions of exposures and outcomes in studies of kidney disease using routinely collected health care data.

Impacting Management of Chronic Kidney Disease Through Primary Care Practice Audits: A Quality Improvement Study

Background

Risk prediction tools are important in chronic disease management, but their implementation into clinical workflow is often limited by lack of electronic health record (EHR)-linked solutions.

Objective

To implement the Khure Health (KH) clinical decision support platform with an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled algorithm for chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk detection in 201 primary care provider practices across Ontario.

Design

Multi-practice quality improvement study.

Setting

The study was conducted in Ontario, Canada.

Participants

201 primary care practices.

Measurements

Per-practice CKD risk stratification and clinician action.

Methods

Data for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albuminuria, demographics, and comorbid conditions were extracted from the EHR using KH's natural language processing (NLP) algorithms. Patients already on dialysis, visiting a nephrologist, older than 85, or already on a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) were excluded. The remaining individuals were risk stratified using the kidney failure risk equation, presence or absence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), or other comorbid conditions. A dashboard with disease-specific educational information and links to the EHRs of the identified patients was created.

Results

We screened 361 299 individuals and identified 8194 patients with CKD Stage 3 at risk for progression or cardiovascular events. A total of 620 individuals were at high risk for CKD progression or CVD, and 2592 were at intermediate risk. A total of 2010 individuals (10 patients per practice) at high or moderate risk were selected for a chart audit, and appropriate additional testing (repeat eGFR or albuminuria) or prescription of disease-modifying therapy occurred in 24.32% of these patients.

Limitations

Data on comorbidities, medications, or demographic variables are not available for presentation or statistical analysis due to privacy legislation and primary care provider (PCP) custodianship over EHR data.

Conclusion

An AI-enabled EHR clinical decision support application that can detect and risk stratify patients with CKD can enable improved laboratory testing and management. Larger trials of clinical decision support and practice audit applications will be needed to impact CKD management nationally.

Cardiovascular events and mortality in chronic kidney disease in primary care patients with previous type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension. A population-based epidemiological study (KIDNEES)

BACKGROUND

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and Hypertension (HTN) are frequently associated with adverse outcomes. We aimed to estimate the impact of a prior diagnosis of T2D and/or HTN on clinical characteristics, cardiovascular events (CVE) and all-cause mortality (ACM) of patients with CKD.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study based on primary care electronic health records of people without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, aged 18-90 years with incident CKD between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2017. The association between CKD groups classified according to prior diagnosis of T2D and/or HTN and risk of ACM and CVE at follow-up was evaluated with Cox and Fine-Gray regression models, respectively.

RESULTS

398,477 patients were included. Median age was 74 years and 55.2% were women. Individuals were classified as CKD with HTN (51.9%), CKD with T2D (3.87%), CKD with HTN/T2D (31.4%) and CKD without HTN/T2D (12.9%). In the multivariate analysis, with the CKD without HTN/T2D group as reference, the ACM Hazard Ratio (HR) was 0.74 (95%CI 0.72-0.75) for the CKD with HTN group, 0.81 (95%CI 0.79-0.83) for CKD with HTN/T2D and 1.14 (95%CI 1.10-1.19) for the CKD with T2D group. The sub distribution HRs for CVE were 1.40 (95%CI 1.34-1.47), 1.70 (95%CI 1.61-1.80) and 1.37 (95%CI 1.26-1.48), respectively.

CONCLUSION

In patients with CKD, the risk of ACM and CVE differed in patients with previous HTN and/or T2D. These comorbidities can help identify individuals at higher risk of adverse outcomes and improve the management of patients with CKD in primary care.

Sex Differences in the Recognition, Monitoring, and Management of CKD in Health Care: An Observational Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

Reported sex differences in the etiology, population prevalence, progression rates, and health outcomes of people with CKD may be explained by differences in health care.

METHODS

We evaluated sex as the variable of interest in a health care-based study of adults (n=227,847) with at least one outpatient eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 measurement denoting probable CKD in Stockholm from 2009 to 2017. We calculated the odds ratios for diagnosis of CKD and provision of RASi and statins at inclusion, and hazard ratios for CKD diagnosis, visiting a nephrologist, or monitoring creatinine and albuminuria during follow-up.

RESULTS

We identified 227,847 subjects, of whom 126,289 were women (55%). At inclusion, women had lower odds of having received a diagnostic code for CKD and were less likely to have received RASi and statins, despite having guideline-recommended indications. In time-to-event analyses, women were less likely to have received a CKD diagnosis (HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.45) and visited a nephrologist (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.48) regardless of disease severity, presence of albuminuria, or criteria for referral. Women were also less likely to undergo monitoring of creatinine or albuminuria, including those with diabetes or hypertension. These differences remained after adjustment for comorbidities, albuminuria, and highest educational achievement, and among subjects with confirmed CKD at retesting. Although in absolute terms all nephrology-care indicators gradually improved over time, the observed sex gap persisted.

CONCLUSIONS

There were profound sex differences in the detection, recognition, monitoring, referrals, and management of CKD. The disparity was also observed in people at high risk and among those who had guideline-recommended indications.

PODCAST

This article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/JASN/2022_10_11_JASN2022030373.mp3.

Kidney Complications and Hospitalization in Patients With Chronic Hypoparathyroidism: A Cohort Study in Sweden

CONTEXT

Kidney complications may be considerably higher in patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism (hypoPT) treated with activated vitamin D and calcium supplementation.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), urolithiasis, and hospitalization in patients with chronic hypoPT.

METHODS

In this population-based cohort study in Sweden, national registries (Swedish National Patient Register, Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, and Total Population Register, 1997-2018) were used to identify patients with chronic hypoPT and controls matched by sex, age, and county of residence. We determined time to CKD and urolithiasis diagnosis, and incidence rates of hospitalization.

RESULTS

A total of 1562 patients with chronic hypoPT without preexisting CKD and 15 620 controls were included. The risk of developing CKD was higher in patients with chronic hypoPT compared with controls (hazard ratio [HR] 4.45; 95% CI, 3.66-5.41). In people without prior urolithiasis (n = 1810 chronic hypoPT and n = 18 100 controls), the risk of developing urolithiasis was higher in patients with chronic hypoPT (HR 3.55; 95% CI, 2.84-4.44) compared with controls. Patients with chronic hypoPT had higher incidence rates for all-cause hospitalization (49.59; 95% CI, 48.50-50.70, per 100 person-years vs 28.43; 95% CI, 28.15-28.71, respectively) and for CKD (3.46; 95% CI, 3.18-3.76, per 100 person-years vs 0.72; 95% CI, 0.68-0.77, respectively), compared with controls. Men with hypoPT appear to have a higher risk of CKD than women.

CONCLUSION

Patients with chronic hypoPT had an increased risk of CKD, urolithiasis, and hospitalization compared with controls.

Trends in nephrology referral patterns for patients with chronic kidney disease: Retrospective cohort study

Introduction

Information on early, guideline discordant referrals in nephrology is limited. Our objective was to investigate trends in referral patterns to nephrology for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of adults with ≥1 visits to a nephrologist from primary care with ≥1 serum creatinine and/or urine protein measurement <180 days before index nephrology visit, from 2006 and 2019 in Alberta, Canada. Guideline discordant referrals were those that did not meet ≥1 of: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ˂ 30 mL/min/1.73m², persistent albuminuria (ACR ≥ 300 mg/g, PCR ≥ 500 mg/g, or Udip ≥ 2+), or progressive and persistent decline in eGFR until index nephrology visit (≥ 5 mL/min/1.73m²).

Results

Of 69,372 patients with CKD, 28,518 (41%) were referred in a guideline concordant manner. The overall rate of first outpatient visits to nephrology increased from 2006 to 2019, although guideline discordant referrals showed a greater increase (trend 21.9 per million population/year, 95% confidence interval 4.3, 39.4) versus guideline concordant referrals (trend 12.4 per million population/year, 95% confidence interval 5.7, 19.0). The guideline concordant cohort were more likely to be on renin-angiotensin system blockers or beta blockers (hazard ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 1.12, 1.16), and had a higher risk of CKD progression (hazard ratio 1.09, 95% confidence interval 1.06, 1.13), kidney failure (hazard ratio 7.65, 95% confidence interval 6.83, 8.56), cardiovascular event (hazard ratio 1.40, 95% confidence interval 1.35,1.45) and mortality (hazard ratio 1.58, 95% confidence interval 1.52, 1.63).

Conclusions

A significant proportion nephrology referrals from primary care were not consistent with current guideline-recommended criteria for referral. Further work is needed to identify quality improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing referral patterns of patients with CKD.

Quality and variation of care for chronic kidney disease in Swiss general practice: A retrospective database study

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common condition in general practice. Data about quality and physician-level variation of CKD care provided by general practitioners is scarce. In this study, we evaluated determinants and variation of achievement of 14 quality indicators for CKD care using electronic medical records data from Swiss general practice during 2013–2019.

Methods

We defined two patient cohorts from 483 general practitioners, one to address renal function assessment in patients with predisposing conditions (n = 47,201, median age 68 years, 48.7% female) and one to address care of patients with laboratory-confirmed CKD (n = 14,654, median age 80 years, 57.5% female). We investigated quality indicator achievement with mixed-effect logistic regression and expressed physician-level variation as intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and range odds ratios (rORs).

Results

We observed the highest quality indicator achievement rate for withholding non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescription in patients with CKD staged G2–3b within 12 months of follow-up (82.6%), the lowest for albuminuria assessment within 18 months of follow-up (18.1%). Highest physician-level variation was found for renal function assessment during 18 months of follow-up in patients with predisposing conditions (diabetes: ICC 0.31, rOR 26.5; cardiovascular disease: ICC 0.28, rOR 17.4; hypertension: ICC 0.24, rOR 17.2).

Conclusion

This study suggests potentially unwarranted variation in general practice concerning RF assessment in patients affected by conditions predisposing for CKD. We further identified potential gaps in quality of CKD monitoring as well as lower quality of CKD care for female patients and patients not affected by comorbidities.

Association of Albuminuria and Regression of Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults With Newly Diagnosed Moderate to Severe Chronic Kidney Disease

IMPORTANCE

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are risk-stratified for adverse events based on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria level. CKD has often a favorable course (CKD regression) regardless of eGFR. Determining whether lower albuminuria is associated with CKD regression may have implications on CKD management.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the 5-year probability of CKD regression across albuminuria categories accounting for the competing risks of CKD progression and death in people with newly diagnosed CKD and the association between albuminuria level and CKD regression.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This population-based cohort study used administrative and laboratory data from Alberta, Canada, for adults with incident moderate to severe CKD (defined as sustained eGFR of 15-44 mL/min/1.73 m2 for >90 days), between April 1, 2008, and March 31, 2017, and albuminuria measures before cohort entry. Data analysis occurred in January to June 2022.

EXPOSURE

Albuminuria categories were defined by albumin to creatinine ratios (ACRs): A1 (ACR, <3 mg/mmol), A2 (ACR, 3-29 mg/mmol), A3<60 (ACR, 30-59 mg/mmol), and A3≥60 (ACR, ≥60 mg/mmol).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The main outcome was time to the earliest of CKD regression or progression (sustained change in CKD stage for >3 months and ≥25% increase or decrease in eGFR from baseline or kidney failure, respectively), death, or censoring (outmigration or study end date: March 31, 2019). Cumulative incidence functions were used to estimate absolute risks, and cause-specific Cox models were used to assess the association between albuminuria and CKD regression, accounting for age, sex, eGFR, comorbidities, and health services use indicators.

RESULTS

Of 58 004 people with moderate to severe CKD (mean [SD] age, 77 [12] years; 31 725 [55%] women), 35 360 had A1 albuminuria (61%), 15 597 had A2 albuminuria (27%), 1527 had A3<60 albuminuria (3%), and 5520 had A3≥60 albuminuria (10%). Five-year probability of regression was highest with A1 (22.6%), followed by A2 (16.5%), and A3<60 (11.6%) and lowest with A3≥60 (5.3%). Using A1 albuminuria as the reference group, the hazard of regression was highest for A2 (hazard ratio [HR], 0.75; 95% CI, 0.72-0.79), then A3<60 (HR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.40-0.54), and lowest for A3≥60 (HR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.24-0.30).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cohort study of people with moderate to severe CKD, albuminuria levels were inversely associated with CKD regression. These findings extend the key prognostic role of albuminuria, offering novel opportunities to discuss both favorable and adverse outcomes in people with CKD and inform CKD management.

Health Care Quality in CKD Subjects: A Cross-Sectional In-Hospital Evaluation

Methods

The study was performed in a retrospective and observational manner. All adult (age 18 years or older) in-hospital subjects treated from January until December 2019 were included. CKD was diagnosed according to the KDIGO 2012 CKD Guideline. The following variables were assessed: CKD stage, quantification/analysis (yes/no) of blood pressure, proteinuria, serum phosphate, serum 25-OH-D3, ferritin and transferrin saturation, and blood gas analysis. In addition, recommendations of the following medicines were analyzed (given/not given): ACE inhibitor or sartan, phosphate binder, vitamin D3 (activated or native), iron, erythropoietin, and bicarbonate. It was also evaluated whether discharge letters contained CKD-related diagnoses or not.

Results

In total, 581 individuals were included in the study. The majority of aspects related to the monitoring and therapeutic management of CKD were either considered in only a small proportion of affected individuals (e.g., quantification of PTH − 5.5%/25-OH-D3 − 6%/transferrin saturation − 13.6%) or avoided nearly at all (e.g., recommendation of erythropoietin—1%, documentation of CKD-MBD diagnosis—0.3%). A reasonable quality of care was identified concerning the blood pressure monitoring (performed in 100%) and blood gas analysis (55% of the patients received analysis). Serum phosphate was measured in 12.9%, particularly in subjects at higher CKD stages.

Conclusions

The current investigation revealed poor quality of care in CKD patients treated at the Brandenburg University Hospital over the period of one year. Quality improvement must be achieved, most likely via a standardized educational program for physicians and a directer access to CKD management guidelines.

Determining the Association Between Continuity of Primary Care and Acute Care Use in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study

PURPOSE

Acute care use is high among individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is unclear how relational continuity of primary care influences downstream acute care use. We aimed to determine if poor continuity of care is associated with greater rates of acute care use and decreased prescriptions for guideline-recommended drugs.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of adults with stage 3-4 CKD and ≥3 visits to a primary care clinician during the period April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2014 in Alberta, Canada. Continuity was calculated using the Usual Provider Continuity index. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patient and acute care encounter characteristics. Adjusted rates and incidence rate ratios for all-cause and CKD-related ambulatory care-sensitive condition (ACSC) hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits were estimated using negative binomial regression. Adjusted odds ratios for prescription use were estimated by multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among 86,475 patients with CKD, 51.3%, 30.0%, and 18.7% had high, moderate, and poor continuity of care, respectively. There were 77,988 all-cause hospitalizations, 6,489 ACSC-related hospitalizations, 204,615 all-cause ED visits, and 8,461 ACSC-related ED visits during a median follow-up of 2.3 years. Rates of all-cause and ACSC hospitalization and ED use increased with poorer continuity of care in a stepwise fashion across CKD stages. Patients with poor continuity were less likely to be prescribed a statin.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor continuity of care is associated with increased acute care use among patients with CKD. Targeted strategies that strengthen patient-physician relationships and guide physicians regarding guideline-recommended prescribing are needed.

Impact of quality improvement initiatives to improve CKD referral patterns: a systematic review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global-health problem. A significant proportion of referrals to nephrologists for CKD management are early and guideline-discordant, which may lead to an excess number of referrals and increased wait-times. Various initiatives have been tested to increase the proportion of guideline-concordant referrals and decrease wait times. This paper describes the protocol for a systematic review to study the impacts of quality improvement initiatives aimed at decreasing the number of non-guideline concordant referrals, increasing the number of guideline-concordant referrals and decreasing wait times for patients to access a nephrologist.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We developed this protocol by using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Protocols (2015). We will search the following empirical electronic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO and grey literature for studies designed to improve guideline-concordant referrals or to reduce unnecessary referrals of patients with CKD from primary care to nephrology. Our search will include all studies published from database inception to April 2021 with no language restrictions. The studies will be limited to referrals for adult patients to nephrologists. Referrals of patients with CKD from non-nephrology specialists (eg, general internal medicine) will be excluded.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval will not be required, as we will analyse data from studies that have already been published and are publicly accessible. We will share our findings using traditional approaches, including scientific presentations, open access peer-reviewed platforms, and appropriate government and public health agencies.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021247756.

New Diabetes Guidelines: Impact on Eligibility for Sodium-glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors and Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists in Canada

OBJECTIVES

Recent diabetes guidelines call for prescribing sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) for end-organ indications (cardiovascular disease [CVD], heart failure and chronic kidney disease) and for primary prevention of CVD in adults with multiple risk factors. Our aim was to assess the effect of new guidelines on the prevalence of SGLT2i/GLP-1RA-eligible adults, and their current rates of SGLT2i/GLP-1RA use.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study of Canadian adults (age ≥18 years) with diabetes on June 30, 2020, using electronic medical record data from primary care practices in 5 provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Ontario and Québec). Indications were determined from comorbidities, lab values and cardiovascular risk factors.

RESULTS

End-organ indications were present in 34.1% of adults for SGLT2i, and in 17.1% for GLP-1RA (CVD only). Rates of SGLT2i and GLP-1RA use were only 14.0% and 4.3%, respectively, in those with end-organ indications. The majority of these individuals had glycated hemoglobin ≤7.0%. The combination of end-organ and primary prevention indications increased eligibility for SGLT2i to 62.6%, and for GLP-1RA to 59.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

The implications of this sizeable reclassification of adults as SGLT2i/GLP-1RA indicated on health-care budgets and cost-effectiveness requires further study. In the meantime, targeted efforts are necessary to improve SGLT2i/GLP-1RA use in those with end-organ indications that have robust evidence of cardiovascular and kidney benefit from newer agents.

The Other Way Around: Living With Chronic Kidney Disease From the Perspective of Men

A wealth of evidence has suggested sex (biological) and gender (sociocultural) differences in the prevalence, progression, and outcomes of persons with chronic kidney disease. Much of this evidence tends to emphasize differences in which women are disadvantaged, and less attention is paid to findings in which women are better off or similar to men. However, gender medicine recognizes that men and women have different disease determinants, presentation, and attitudes, and it pertains to both sexes. In this review, we revisit chronic kidney disease through the perspective of men, and illustrate a population segment at need of stringent preventative and management strategies.

Inappropriate use of clinical practices in Canada: a systematic review

Background:

Inappropriate health care leads to negative patient experiences, poor health outcomes and inefficient use of resources. We aimed to conduct a systematic review of inappropriately used clinical practices in Canada.

Methods:

We searched multiple bibliometric databases and grey literature to identify inappropriately used clinical practices in Canada between 2007 and 2021. Two team members independently screened citations, extracted data and assessed methodological quality. Findings were synthesized in 2 categories: diagnostics and therapeutics. We reported ranges of proportions of inappropriate use for all practices. Medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs), based on the percentage of patients not receiving recommended practices (underuse) or receiving practices not recommended (overuse), were calculated. All statistics are at the study summary level.

Results:

We included 174 studies, representing 228 clinical practices and 28 900 762 patients. The median proportion of inappropriate care, as assessed in the studies, was 30.0% (IQR 12.0%–56.6%). Underuse (median 43.9%, IQR 23.8%–66.3%) was more frequent than overuse (median 13.6%, IQR 3.2%–30.7%). The most frequently investigated diagnostics were glycated hemoglobin (underused, range 18.0%–85.7%, n = 9) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (overused, range 3.0%–35.1%, n = 5). The most frequently investigated therapeutics were statin medications (underused, range 18.5%–71.0%, n = 6) and potentially inappropriate medications (overused, range 13.5%–97.3%, n = 9).

Interpretation:

We have provided a summary of inappropriately used clinical practices in Canadian health care systems. Our findings can be used to support health care professionals and quality agencies to improve patient care and safety in Canada.

Prescribing Patterns of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors in Patients with CKD: A Cross-Sectional Registry Analysis

Background

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) reduce kidney disease progression and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), regardless of diabetes status. However, the prescribing patterns of these novel therapeutics in the CKD population in real-world settings remain largely unknown.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included adults with stages 3-5 CKD included in the Mass General Brigham (MGB) CKD registry in March 2021. We described the adoption of SGLT-2i therapy and evaluated factors associated with SGLT-2i prescription using multivariable logistic regression models in the CKD population, with and without diabetes.

Results

A total of 72,240 patients with CKD met the inclusion criteria, 31,688 (44%) of whom were men and 61,265 (85%) White. A total of 22,653 (31%) patients were in the diabetic cohort, and 49,587 (69%) were in the nondiabetic cohort. SGLT-2i prescription was 6% in the diabetic cohort and 0.3% in the nondiabetic cohort. In multivariable analyses, younger Black men with a history of heart failure, use of cardiovascular medications, and at least one cardiologist visit in the previous year were associated with higher odds of SGLT-2i prescription in both diabetic and nondiabetic cohorts. Among patients with diabetes, advanced CKD stages were associated with lower odds of SGLT-2i prescription, whereas urine dipstick test and at least one subspecialist visit in the previous year were associated with higher odds of SGLT-2i prescription. In the nondiabetic cohort, CKD stage, urine dipstick test, and at least one nephrologist visit in the previous year were not significantly associated with SGLT-2i prescription.

Conclusions

In this registry study, prescription of SGLT-2i was low in the CKD population, particularly among patients without diabetes.

Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Visiting Various Hospital Departments: An Analysis in a Hospital in Central Tokyo, Japan

To further improve care for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, healthcare providers’ awareness of CKD must be raised. Proteinuria testing is essential for CKD care, and collaboration with specialists is recommended for advanced cases. We reviewed data from the electronic medical records of outpatients at our hospital to analyze the clinical departments visited by CKD patients, and the frequency of proteinuria testing and referrals to nephrologists. We defined CKD as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² or a urine protein concentration (U-pro) ≥ +1. We found that 31.1% of the CKD tests in September 2021 were performed in clinical departments other than internal medicine. Furthermore, within 1 year, 68.0% of CKD patients identified in September 2020 underwent a urine dipstick test, and 33.7% underwent a quantitative test for urinary protein or albumin. Additionally, 27.5% of individuals with an eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m² or U-pro ≥ +1 identified by non-nephrology departments in September 2020 visited the nephrology department within 1 year. Repeated assessments of these quality indicators may be useful for progress management in improving CKD care. Because CKD patients visited various departments in our hospital, campaigns to raise CKD awareness must reach a wide range of healthcare providers in hospitals.

The Kidney Failure Risk Equation Score and CKD Care Delivery Measures: A Cross-sectional Study

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE

The 4-variable kidney failure risk equation (KFRE) allows for the prediction of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression using age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and urine albumin/creatinine ratio. Electronic health records enable KFRE auto-calculation, and registries allow population-level application. We assessed whether 2-year KFRE score categories are associated with CKD care metrics.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional cohort.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS

This study included individuals with CKD in March 2020 who were receiving care within the Partners HealthCare system in Massachusetts.

OUTCOMES

The presence of sufficient data to calculate the KFRE and, among those with a KFRE score, performance on CKD clinical care metrics, including (1) prescription of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker; (2) blood pressure at goal (<140/90 mm Hg) based on clinic measurements; (3) composite metric of hepatitis B virus immunity; (4) composite metric of referral, evaluation, or waitlist status for kidney transplantation; (5) advance directive documentation; (6) yearly influenza vaccination; and (7) pneumonia vaccination.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH

Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association of KFRE score category with CKD care metrics.

RESULTS

Of 61,546 patients, 18,272 (30%) had auto-calculated 2-year KFRE scores; the remaining patients lacked KFRE scores because of absent albuminuria assessment. Individuals with a KFRE score were more likely to have a primary care provider or nephrologist. Among patients with 2-year KFRE scores, high-risk patients had increased odds of completing advance directives (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.07-2.17), while low-risk patients had decreased odds of influenza vaccination (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75-0.97). Patients with moderate- and high-risk KFRE scores had lower odds of having blood pressure at goal (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61-0.96 and OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.44-0.88, respectively).

LIMITATIONS

Albuminuria data may have been assessed outside of the Partners system.

CONCLUSIONS

A higher-risk KFRE score is associated with the delivery of some but not all CKD care measures. An opportunity exists to improve albuminuria measurement.

Investigating the global prevalence and consequences of undiagnosed stage 3 chronic kidney disease: methods and rationale for the REVEAL-CKD study

Background

Timely diagnosis and treatment of stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) can prevent further loss of kidney function and progression to kidney failure. However, contemporary data on the global prevalence of undiagnosed stage 3 CKD are scarce. REVEAL-CKD is a multinational, multifocal and observational study aiming to provide insights into undiagnosed stage 3 CKD in a large population.

Methods

Patients (aged ≥18 years) with data in selected secondary databases from 11 countries will be included if they have at least two estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measurements from 2015 onwards that are ≥30 and <60 mL/min/1.73 m², recorded >90 and ≤730 days apart. Undiagnosed cases are those without an International Classification of Diseases 9/10 diagnosis code for CKD (any stage) any time before and up to 6 months after the second qualifying eGFR measurement. Time to diagnosis will be assessed using a Kaplan–Meier approach; patient characteristics associated with undiagnosed CKD will be assessed using adjusted logistical regression analyses.

Results

REVEAL-CKD will assess the point prevalence of undiagnosed stage 3 CKD and time to CKD diagnosis in initially undiagnosed cases overall and in individual countries. Trends in undiagnosed CKD prevalence by calendar year will be assessed. Patient characteristics, healthcare resource utilization, adverse clinical outcomes, and CKD management and monitoring practices in patients with versus without a CKD diagnosis will be compared.

Conclusions

REVEAL-CKD will increase awareness of the global clinical and economic burden of undiagnosed stage 3 CKD and provide valuable insights to inform clinical practice and policy changes.

Nephron overload as a therapeutic target to maximize kidney lifespan

Kidney lifespan is a patient-oriented outcome that provides much needed context for understanding chronic kidney disease (CKD). Nephron endowment, age-associated decline in nephron number, kidney injury history and the intrinsic capacity of nephrons to adapt to haemodynamic and metabolic overload vary widely within the population. Defining percentiles of kidney function might therefore help to predict individual kidney lifespan and distinguish healthy ageing from progressive forms of CKD. In response to nephron loss, the remaining nephrons undergo functional and structural adaptations to meet the ongoing haemodynamic and metabolic demands of the organism. When these changes are no longer sufficient to maintain kidney cell homeostasis, remnant nephron demise occurs and CKD progression ensues. An individual's trajectory of glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria reflects the extent of nephron loss and adaptation of the remaining nephrons. Nephron overload represents the final common pathway of CKD progression and is largely independent of upstream disease mechanisms. Thus, interventions that efficiently attenuate nephron overload in early disease stages can protect remnant kidney cells and nephrons, and delay CKD progression. This Review provides a conceptual framework for individualized diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of CKD with the goal of maximizing kidney lifespan.

Enhancing primary care capacity in chronic kidney disease management: a quality improvement educational initiative

BACKGROUND

Gaps in identification, medical management and appropriate referral for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are evident.

OBJECTIVE

We designed and implemented an interactive educational intervention (accredited workshop) to improve primary care providers' awareness of tools to support guideline-concordant CKD management.

DESIGN

We used the Kern method to design the educational intervention and targeted the accredited workshops to primary care team members (physicians, nurses and allied health) in Alberta, Canada. We conducted anonymous pre-workshop and post-workshop surveys to identify practice-specific barriers to care, identify potential solutions, and evaluate provider confidence pre-intervention and post-intervention. We used non-parametric statistics to analyse Likert-type survey data and descriptive content analysis to categorise responses to open-ended survey questions.

RESULTS

We delivered 12 workshops to 114 providers from September 2017 through March 2019. Significant improvements (p<0.001) in confidence to appropriately identify, manage and refer patients with CKD were observed. Participants identified several patient-level, provider-level, and system-level barriers and potential solutions to care for patients with CKD; the majority of these barriers were addressed in the interactive workshop.

CONCLUSIONS

The Kern model was an effective methodology to design and implement an educational intervention to improve providers' confidence in managing patients with CKD in primary care. Future research is needed to determine if these perceived knowledge and confidence improvements affect patient outcomes and whether improvements are sustained long term.

Online clinical pathway for chronic kidney disease management in primary care: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Clinical pathways aim to improve patient care. We sought to determine whether an online chronic kidney disease (CKD) clinical pathway was associated with improvements in CKD management.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective pre/post population-based cohort study using linked health data from Alberta, Canada. We included adults 18 years or older with mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73m2. The primary outcome was measurement of an outpatient urine albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) in a 28-day period, among people without a test in the prior year. Secondary outcomes included use of guideline-recommended drug therapies (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers and statins).

RESULTS

The study period spanned October 2010 to March 2017. There were 84 independent 28-day periods (53 pre, 31 post pathway implementation) including 345,058 adults. The population was predominantly female (56%) with median age 77 years; most had category 3A CKD (67%) and hypertension (82%). In adjusted segmented regression models, the increase in the rate of change of ACR testing was greatest in Calgary zone (adjusted OR 1.19 per year, 95% CI 1.16-1.21), where dissemination of the pathway was strongest; this increase was more pronounced in those without diabetes (adjusted OR 1.25 per year, 95% CI 1.21-1.29). Small improvements in guideline-concordant medication use were also observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Following implementation of an online CKD clinical pathway, improvements in ACR testing were evident in regions where the pathway was most actively used, particularly among individuals without diabetes.

Biomarkers During Recovery From AKI and Prediction of Long-term Reductions in Estimated GFR

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE

The effects of acute kidney injury (AKI) on long-term kidney function, cardiovascular disease, and mortality are well documented. We aimed to identify biomarkers for estimating the risk of new or worsening chronic kidney disease (CKD) following AKI.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS

Adults from a single clinical center who developed AKI between May 2013 and May 2016, and survived until 3 years after the hospitalization during which AKI occurred. Participants included those with and without pre-existing CKD.

PREDICTORS

Panel of 11 plasma biomarkers measured 3-months after hospitalisation.

OUTCOME

Kidney disease progression, defined as a ≥25% decline in eGFR combined with a decline in CKD stage, assessed three years after the occurrence of AKI.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH

Associations between biomarkers and kidney disease progression were evaluated in multivariable logistic regression models. Importance of predictor variables was assessed by constructing multiple decision trees, with penalised Lasso logistic regression for variable selection used to produce multivariable models.

RESULTS

A total of 500 patients were studied. Soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNFR1), sTNFR2, cystatin C, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), three-month eGFR and urine albumin:creatinine ratio (ACR) were independently associated with kidney disease progression and were more important than AKI severity or duration. A multivariable model containing sTNFR1, sTNFR2, cystatin C and eGFR discriminated between those with and without kidney disease progression (AUC 0.79, 95% CI 0.7-0.83). Optimising the cut-point to maximise utility as a 'rule-out' test to identify those at low risk increased the sensitivity of the model to 95% and its negative predictive value to 92%.

LIMITATIONS

Lack of external validation cohort. Analyses limited to patients surviving for 3 years after AKI. Mixed population of patients with and without baseline CKD.

CONCLUSIONS

A panel of plasma biomarkers measured 3-months after discharge from a hospitalization complicated by AKI provides potential opportunity to identify patients who are at very low risk of incident or worsening CKD. Further study is required to determine its clinical utility through independent prospective validation.

Impact of point-of-care screening for hypertension, diabetes and progression of chronic kidney disease in rural Manitoba Indigenous communities

BACKGROUND:

In 2013–2015, we conducted point-of-care screening for hypertension, diabetes and chronic kidney disease in rural and remote Indigenous communities in Manitoba, Canada. In this study, we aimed to determine whether optimal follow-up care was provided, defined as proportion of individuals with appropriate kidney disease laboratory testing, medication prescriptions and physician visits.

METHODS:

We linked screening data from participants to provincial administrative data sets to evaluate whether frequencies of laboratory testing, prescriptions of disease-modifying medications, and primary care and nephrology visits differed in the 18 months before and after screening. We also conducted a propensity score matching analysis to compare outcomes between screened and unscreened adults.

RESULTS:

Of 1353 adults who received the screening intervention and who had complete administrative data available, 44% were at risk of kidney failure at screening. Among these individuals, frequencies of comprehensive laboratory testing (estimated glomerular filtration rate and urine albumin to creatinine ratio) improved by 17.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.5 to 22.5), anti-hyperglycemic medications improved by 4.4% (95% CI 1.0 to 7.8), and nephrology visits for participants meeting referral criteria improved by 5.9% (95% CI 3.4 to 8.5). We observed significant improvements in laboratory testing, antihyperglycemic medications and nephrology visits in the screened group compared with the 1:1 matched comparison group.

INTERPRETATION:

Point-of-care screening programs in rural and remote Indigenous communities are adaptable methods for increasing awareness, monitoring risk and treating chronic diseases. Interventions such as the development of a national screening program could improve chronic disease care in high-risk populations.

Overcoming Barriers to Implementing New Therapies for Diabetic Kidney Disease: Lessons Learned

As a result of the growing number of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, the prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has proven to be one of the fastest growing health care challenges globally. Early detection and initiation of appropriate interventions to slow the progression of DKD are impeded by low awareness of the health consequences of DKD, high complexity of care that includes the need for lifestyle modifications, difficulties with adhering to increasingly complicated medication regimens, and low acceptance and application of guideline-directed management. After 2 decades of status quo in the care of patients with DKD, recently approved glucose-lowering agents are promising to transform care by demonstrating slowed DKD disease progression and improved survival. As has been learned over the last 2 decades, multiple barriers exist to the optimal integration and utilization of new therapies to improve kidney outcomes. The health care community, professional societies, and regulatory agencies must join efforts to develop implementation strategies for increasing DKD awareness, detection, and treatment.

Enabling a learning healthcare system with automated computer protocols that produce replicable and personalized clinician actions

Clinical decision-making is based on knowledge, expertise, and authority, with clinicians approving almost every intervention-the starting point for delivery of "All the right care, but only the right care," an unachieved healthcare quality improvement goal. Unaided clinicians suffer from human cognitive limitations and biases when decisions are based only on their training, expertise, and experience. Electronic health records (EHRs) could improve healthcare with robust decision-support tools that reduce unwarranted variation of clinician decisions and actions. Current EHRs, focused on results review, documentation, and accounting, are awkward, time-consuming, and contribute to clinician stress and burnout. Decision-support tools could reduce clinician burden and enable replicable clinician decisions and actions that personalize patient care. Most current clinical decision-support tools or aids lack detail and neither reduce burden nor enable replicable actions. Clinicians must provide subjective interpretation and missing logic, thus introducing personal biases and mindless, unwarranted, variation from evidence-based practice. Replicability occurs when different clinicians, with the same patient information and context, come to the same decision and action. We propose a feasible subset of therapeutic decision-support tools based on credible clinical outcome evidence: computer protocols leading to replicable clinician actions (eActions). eActions enable different clinicians to make consistent decisions and actions when faced with the same patient input data. eActions embrace good everyday decision-making informed by evidence, experience, EHR data, and individual patient status. eActions can reduce unwarranted variation, increase quality of clinical care and research, reduce EHR noise, and could enable a learning healthcare system.

Cost of Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations Among Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Background:

Prior studies report high hospitalization rates among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and approximately 10% to 20.9% of hospitalizations are potentially preventable.

Objective:

To determine the rate, proportion, and cost of potentially preventable hospitalizations and whether this varied by CKD category.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study using population-based data.

Setting:

Alberta, Canada.

Patients:

All adults with an outpatient serum creatinine measurement between January 1 and December 31, 2017 in the Alberta Kidney Disease Network data repository.

Measurements:

CKD risk categories were based on measures of proteinuria (where available), eGFR, and use of dialysis. Patients were linked to administrative data to capture frequency and cost of hospital encounters and followed until death or end of study (December 31, 2018). The outcomes of interest were the rate and cost of potentially preventable hospitalizations, as identified using the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)-defined ambulatory care sensitive condition (ACSC) algorithm and a CKD-related ACSC algorithm.

Methods:

Unadjusted and adjusted rates per 1000-patient years, proportions, and cost attributable to preventable hospitalizations were identified for the cohort as a whole and for patients within each CKD risk category.

Results:

Of the 1,110,895 adults with eGFR and proteinuria measurements, 181,422 had CKD. During a median follow-up of 1 year, there were 62,023 hospitalizations among patients with CKD resulting in a total cost of $946 million CAD; 6907 (11.1%) of these hospitalizations were for CIHI-defined ACSCs while 4323 (7.0%) were for CKD-related ACSCs. Adjusted rates of hospitalization for ACSCs increased with CKD risk category and were highest among patients treated with dialysis. Among CKD patients, the total cost of potentially preventable hospitalizations was $79 million and $58 million CAD for CIHI-defined and CKD-related ACSCs (8.4% and 6.2% of total hospitalization cost, respectively).

Limitations:

Based on the ACSC construct, we were unable to determine if these hospitalizations were truly preventable.

Conclusions:

Potentially preventable hospitalizations have a substantial cost and burden on the health care system among people with CKD. Effective strategies that reduce preventable admissions among CKD patients may lead to significant cost savings.

Trial registration:

Not applicable—observational study design

International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas: structures, organization, and services for the management of kidney failure in North America and the Caribbean

The International Society of Nephrology established the Global Kidney Health Atlas project to define the global capacity for kidney replacement therapy and conservative kidney care, and this second iteration was to describe the availability, accessibility, quality, and affordability of kidney failure (KF) care worldwide. This report presents results for the International Society of Nephrology North America and the Caribbean region. Relative to other regions, the North America and Caribbean region had better infrastructure and funding for health care and more health care workers relative to the population. Various essential medicines were also more available and accessible. There was substantial variation in the prevalence of treated KF in the region, ranging from 137.4 per million population (pmp) in Jamaica to 2196 pmp in the United States. A mix of public and private funding systems cover costs for nondialysis chronic kidney disease care in 60% of countries and for dialysis in 70% of countries. Although the median number of nephrologists is 18.1 (interquartile range, 15.3-29.5) pmp, which is approximately twice the global median of 9.9 (interquartile range, 1.2-22.7) pmp, some countries reported shortages of other health care workers. Dialysis was available in all countries, but peritoneal dialysis was underutilized and unavailable in Barbados, Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos. Kidney transplantation was primarily available in Canada and the United States. Economic factors were the major barriers to optimal KF care in the Caribbean countries, and few countries in the region have chronic kidney disease-specific national health care policies. To address regional gaps in KF care delivery, efforts should be directed toward augmenting the workforce, improving the monitoring and reporting of kidney replacement therapy indicators, and implementing noncommunicable disease and chronic kidney disease-specific policies in all countries.

Identification of Patients with CKD in Medical Databases: A Comparison of Different Algorithms

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Despite CKD consensus definitions, epidemiologic studies use multiple different algorithms to identify CKD. We aimed to elucidate if this affects the patient characteristics and the estimated prevalence and prognosis of CKD by applying six different algorithms to identify CKD in population-based medical databases and compare the cohorts.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

Patients with CKD in Northern Denmark (2009-2016) were identified using six different algorithms: five were laboratory based defined by (1) one measured outpatient eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m² (single test, n=103,435), (2) two such findings ≥90 days apart (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes, n=84,688), (3) two such findings ≥90 days apart with no eGFR >60 ml/min per 1.73 m² observed in-between (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes, persistent, n=68,994), (4) two such findings ≥90 and <365 days apart (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes, time limited, n=75,031), and (5) two eGFRs <60 ml/min per 1.73 m² or two urine albumin-creatinine ratios >30 mg/g ≥90 days apart (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes, eGFR/albuminuria, n=100,957). The sixth included patients identified by reported in- and outpatient hospital International Classification of Diseases diagnoses of CKD (hospital-diagnosed, n=27,947). For each cohort, we estimated baseline eGFR, CKD prevalence, and 1-year mortality using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

The five different laboratory-based algorithms resulted in large differences in the estimated prevalence of CKD from 4637-8327 per 100,000 population. In contrast, 1-year mortality varied only slightly (7%-9%). Baseline eGFR levels at diagnosis were comparable (53-56 ml/min per 1.73 m²), whereas median time since first recorded eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m² varied from 0 months (single-test) to 17 months (Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes, persistent). The hospital-diagnosed algorithm yielded markedly lower CKD prevalence (775 per 100,000 population), a lower baseline eGFR (47 ml/min per 1.73 m²), longer time since first eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m² (median 70 months), and much higher 1-year mortality (22%).

CONCLUSIONS

Population prevalence of CKD identified in medical databases greatly depends on the applied algorithm to define CKD. Despite these differences, laboratory-based algorithms produce cohorts with similar prognosis.

PODCAST

This article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2021_03_11_CJN15691020_final.mp3.

An Environmental Scan of Ambulatory Care Quality Indicators for Patients With Advanced Kidney Disease Currently Used in Canada

Background:

Quality indicators can be used to identify gaps in care and drive frontline improvement activities. These efforts are important to prevent adverse events in the increasing number of ambulatory patients with advanced kidney disease in Canada, but it is unclear what indicators exist and the components of health care quality they measure.

Objective:

We sought to identify, categorize, and evaluate quality indicators currently in use across Canada for ambulatory patients with advanced kidney disease.

Design:

Environmental scan of quality indicators currently being collected by various organizations.

Setting:

We assembled a 16-member group from across Canada with expertise in nephrology and quality improvement.

Patients:

Our scan included indicators relevant to patients with chronic kidney disease in ambulatory care clinics.

Measurements:

We categorized the identified quality indicators using the Institute of Medicine and Donabedian frameworks.

Methods:

A 4-member panel used a modified Delphi process to evaluate the indicators found during the environmental scan using the American College of Physicians/Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality criteria. The ratings were then shared with the full panel for further comments and approval.

Results:

The environmental scan found 28 quality indicators across 7 provinces, with 8 (29%) rated as “necessary” to distinguish high-quality from poor-quality care. Of these 8 indicators, 3 were measured by more than 1 province (% of patients on a statin, number of patients receiving a preemptive transplant, and estimated glomerular filtration rate at dialysis start); no indicator was used by more than 2 provinces. None of the indicators rated as necessary measured timely or equitable care, nor did we identify any measures that assessed the setting in which care occurs (ie, structure measures).

Limitations:

Our list cannot be considered as an exhaustive list of available quality indicators at hand in Canada. Our work focused on quality indicators for nephrology providers and programs, and not indicators that can be applied across primary and specialty providers. We also focused on indicator constructs and not the detailed definitions or their application. Last, our panel does not represent the views of other important stakeholders.

Conclusions:

Our environmental scan provides a snapshot of the scope of quality indicators for ambulatory patients with advanced kidney disease in Canada. This catalog should inform indicator selection and the development of new indicators based on the identified gaps, as well as motivate increased pan-Canadian collaboration on quality measurement and improvement.

Trial registration:

Not applicable as this article is not a systematic review, nor does it report results of a health intervention on human participants.

Estimating Kidney Failure Risk Using Electronic Medical Records

Background

The four-variable kidney failure risk equation (KFRE) is a well-validated tool for patients with GFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m² and incorporates age, sex, GFR, and urine albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) to forecast individual risk of kidney failure. Implementing the KFRE in electronic medical records is challenging, however, due to low ACR testing in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to determine, when ACR is missing, whether to impute ACR from protein-to-creatinine ratio (PCR) or dipstick protein for use in the four-variable KFRE, or to use the three-variable KFRE, which does not require ACR.

Methods

Using electronic health records from OptumLabs Data Warehouse, patients with eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m² were categorized on the basis of the availability of ACR testing within the previous 3 years. For patients missing ACR, we extracted urine PCR and dipstick protein results, comparing the discrimination of the three-variable KFRE (age, sex, GFR) with the four-variable KFRE estimated using imputed ACR from PCR and dipstick protein levels.

Results

There were 976,299 patients in 39 health care organizations; 59% were women, the mean age was 72 years, and mean eGFR was 47 ml/min per 1.73 m². The proportion with ACR testing was 19% within the previous 3 years. An additional 2% had an available PCR and 36% had a dipstick protein; the remaining 43% had no form of albuminuria testing. The four-variable KFRE had significantly better discrimination than the three-variable KFRE among patients with ACR testing, PCR testing, and urine dipstick protein levels, even with imputed ACR for the latter two groups. Calibration of the four-variable KFRE was acceptable in each group, but the three-variable equation showed systematic bias in the groups that lacked ACR or PCR testing.

Conclusions

Implementation of the KFRE in electronic medical records should incorporate ACR, even if only imputed from PCR or urine dipstick protein levels.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor or Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Use Among Hypertensive US Adults With Albuminuria

Since 2003, US hypertension guidelines have recommended ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors or ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) as first-line antihypertensive therapy in the presence of albuminuria (urine albumin/creatinine ratio ≥300 mg/g). To examine national trends in guideline-concordant ACE inhibitor/ARB utilization, we studied adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2001 to 2018 with hypertension (defined by self-report of high blood pressure, systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic ≥90 mm Hg, or use of antihypertensive medications). Among 20 538 included adults, the prevalence of albuminuria ≥300 mg/g was 2.8% in 2001 to 2006, 2.8% in 2007 to 2012, and 3.2% in 2013 to 2018. Among those with albuminuria ≥300 mg/g, no consistent trends were observed for the proportion receiving ACE inhibitor/ARB treatment from 2001 to 2018 among persons with diabetes, without diabetes, or overall. In 2013 to 2018, ACE inhibitor/ARB usage in the setting of albuminuria ≥300 mg/g was 55.3% (95% CI, 46.8%-63.6%) among adults with diabetes and 33.4% (95% CI, 23.1%-45.5%) among those without diabetes. Based on US population counts, these estimates represent 1.6 million adults with albuminuria ≥300 mg/g currently not receiving ACE inhibitor/ARB therapy, nearly half of whom do not have diabetes. ACE inhibitor/ARB underutilization represents a significant gap in preventive care delivery for adults with hypertension and albuminuria that has not substantially changed over time.

Current Management Strategies of Chronic Kidney Disease in Resource-Limited Countries

The incidence and prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure continues to increase worldwide, especially in resource-limited countries. Many countries in this category already have a massive burden of communicable diseases, as well as socio-economic and socio-demographic challenges. The rising CKD burden and exorbitant economic cost associated with treatment are mainly responsible for the alarming mortality rate associated with kidney disease in these regions. There is often poor risk factor (diabetes and hypertension) and CKD awareness in these countries and limited availability and affordability of treatment options. Given these observations, early disease detection and preventive measures remain the best options for disease management in resource-limited settings. Primary, secondary and tertiary preventive strategies need to be enhanced and should particularly include measures to increase awareness, regular assessment to detect hypertension, diabetes and albuminuria, options for early referral of identified patients to a nephrologist and options for conservative kidney management where kidney replacement therapies may not be available or indicated. Much is still needed to be done by governments in these regions, especially regarding healthcare funding, improving the primary healthcare systems and enhancing non-communicable disease detection and treatment programs as these will have effects on kidney care in these regions.

J-CKD-DB: a nationwide multicentre electronic health record-based chronic kidney disease database in Japan

The Japan Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Database (J-CKD-DB) is a large-scale, nation-wide registry based on electronic health record (EHR) data from participating university hospitals. Using a standardized exchangeable information storage, the J-CKD-DB succeeded to efficiently collect clinical data of CKD patients across hospitals despite their different EHR systems. CKD was defined as dipstick proteinuria ≥1+ and/or estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m² base on both out- and inpatient laboratory data. As an initial analysis, we analyzed 39,121 CKD outpatients (median age was 71 years, 54.7% were men, median eGFR was 51.3 mL/min/1.73 m²) and observed that the number of patients with a CKD stage G1, G2, G3a, G3b, G4 and G5 were 1,001 (2.6%), 2,612 (6.7%), 23,333 (59.6%), 8,357 (21.4%), 2,710 (6.9%) and 1,108 (2.8%), respectively. According to the KDIGO risk classification, there were 30.1% and 25.5% of male and female patients with CKD at very high-risk, respectively. As the information from every clinical encounter from those participating hospitals will be continuously updated with an anonymized patient ID, the J-CKD-DB will be a dynamic registry of Japanese CKD patients by expanding and linking with other existing databases and a platform for a number of cross-sectional and prospective analyses to answer important clinical questions in CKD care.

Preventing CKD in Developed Countries

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an important public health concern in developed countries because of both the number of people affected and the high cost of care when prevention strategies are not effectively implemented. Prevention should start at the governance level with the institution of multisectoral polices supporting sustainable development goals and ensuring safe and healthy environments. Primordial prevention of CKD can be achieved through implementation of measures to ensure healthy fetal (kidney) development. Public health strategies to prevent diabetes, hypertension, and obesity as risk factors for CKD are important. These approaches are cost-effective and reduce the overall noncommunicable disease burden. Strategies to prevent nontraditional CKD risk factors, including nephrotoxin exposure, kidney stones, infections, environmental exposures, and acute kidney injury (AKI), need to be tailored to local needs and epidemiology. Early diagnosis and treatment of CKD risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension are key for primary prevention of CKD. CKD tends to occur more frequently and to progress more rapidly among indigenous, minority, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Special attention is required to meet the CKD prevention needs of these populations. Effective secondary prevention of CKD relies on screening of individuals at risk to detect and treat CKD early, using established and emerging strategies. Within high-income countries, barriers to accessing effective CKD therapies must be recognized, and public health strategies must be developed to overcome these obstacles, including training and support at the primary care level to identify individuals at risk of CKD, and appropriately implement clinical practice guidelines.

Clinical Characteristics of and Risk Factors for Chronic Kidney Disease Among Adults and Children: An Analysis of the CURE-CKD Registry

IMPORTANCE

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is serious and common, yet recognition and public health responses are limited.

OBJECTIVE

To describe clinical features of, prevalence of, major risk factors for, and care for CKD among patients treated in 2 large US health care systems.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study collected data from the Center for Kidney Disease Research, Education, and Hope (CURE-CKD) registry, an electronic health record-based registry jointly curated and sponsored by Providence St Joseph Health and the University of California, Los Angeles. Patients were adults and children with CKD (excluding end-stage kidney disease) and adults at risk of CKD (ie, with diabetes, hypertension, or prediabetes) identified by laboratory values, vital signs, prescriptions, and administrative codes. Data were collected from January 2006 through December 2017, with analyses performed from March 2019 through November 2019.

EXPOSURES

Diabetes, hypertension, and prediabetes.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Clinical and demographic characteristics, prevalence, and prescribed medications.

RESULTS

Of 2 625 963 adults and children in the sample, 606 064 adults (23.1%) with CKD had a median (interquartile range [IQR]) age of 70 (59-81) years, with 338 785 women (55.9%) and 434 474 non-Latino white individuals (71.7%). A total of 12 591 children (0.4%) with CKD had a median (IQR) age of 6 (1-13) years, with 7079 girls (56.2%) and 6653 non-Latino white children (52.8%). Median (IQR) estimated glomerular filtration rate was 53 (41-61) mL/min/1.73 m2 among adults and 70 (50-95) mL/min/1.73 m2 in children. Prevalence rates for CKD in adults were 4.8% overall (606 064 of 12 669 700) with 1.6% (93 644 of 6 011 129) during 2006 to 2009, 5.7% (393 455 of 6 903 084) during 2010 to 2013, and 8.4% (683 574 of 8 179 860) during 2014 to 2017 (P < .001). A total of 226 693 patients (37.4%) had category 3a CKD; 100 239 (16.5%), category 3b CKD; 39 125 (6.5%), category 4 CKD; and 20 328 (3.4%), category 5 CKD. Among adults with CKD, albuminuria and proteinuria assessments were available in 52 551 (8.7%) and 25 035 (4.1%) patients, respectively. A renin-angiotensin system inhibitor was prescribed to 124 575 patients (20.6%), and 204 307 (33.7%) received nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or proton pump inhibitors. Of 1 973 258 adults (75.1%) at risk, one-quarter had diabetes or prediabetes (512 299 [26.0%]), nearly half had hypertension (955 812 [48.4%]), and one-quarter had both hypertension and diabetes or prediabetes (505 147 [25.6%]).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This registry-based cohort study revealed a burgeoning number of patients with CKD and its major risk factors. Rates of identification and use of kidney protective agents were low, while potential nephrotoxin use was widespread, underscoring the pressing need for practice-based improvements in CKD prevention, recognition, and treatment.