Optimizing care for Canadians with diabetic nephropathy in 2015

Bridging Gaps in Diabetic Nephropathy Care: A Narrative Review Guided by the Lived Experiences of Patient Partners

Purpose of review

Diabetes affects almost a 10th of the Canadian population, and diabetic nephropathy is one of its main complications. It remains a leading cause of kidney failure despite the availability of effective treatments.

Sources of information

The sources of information are iterative discussions between health care professionals and patient partners and literature collected through the search of multiple databases.

Methods

Major pitfalls related to optimal diabetic nephropathy care were identified through discussions between patient partners and clinician researchers. We identified underlying factors that were common between pitfalls. We then conducted a narrative review of strategies to overcome them, with a focus on Canadian initiatives.

Key findings

We identified 5 pitfalls along the diabetic nephropathy trajectory, including a delay in diabetes diagnosis, suboptimal glycemic control, delay in the detection of kidney involvement, suboptimal kidney protection, and deficient management of advanced chronic kidney disease. Several innovative care models and approaches have been proposed to address these pitfalls; however, they are not consistently applied. To improve diabetic nephropathy care in Canada, we recommend focusing initiatives on improving awareness of diabetic nephropathy, improving access to timely evidence-based care, fostering inclusive patient-centered care environment, and generating new evidence that supports complex disease management. It is imperative that patients and their families are included at the center of these initiatives.

Limitations

This review was limited to research published in peer-reviewed journals. We did not perform a systematic review of the literature; we included articles that were relevant to the major pitfalls identified by our patient partners. Study quality was also not formally assessed. The combination of these factors limits the scope of our conclusions.

Comparison of Clinical and Social Characteristics of Canadian Youth Living With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVES

Our aim in this study was to describe the clinical and social characteristics of 2 Canadian cohorts of adolescents with diabetes.

METHODS

Participants from the Improving renal Complications in Adolescents with type 2 diabetes through REsearch (iCARE) study (n=322) and the Early Determinants of Cardio-Renal Disease in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes (n=199) study were compared.

RESULTS

Adolescents were 10 to 18 years of age (mean ± standard deviation: 14.8±2.4 years). The T2DM cohort had a shorter duration of diabetes. Both groups had glycated hemoglobin levels above target. The type 2 diabetes (T2D) cohort was comprised of predominantly Indigenous youth. The type 1 diabetes (T1D) cohort was 58.3% European/Caucasian, with a high proportion (41.7%) of visible minority groups (Afro-Caribbean, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic). The prevalence of obesity, hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, albuminuria and hyperfiltration was higher in the T2D cohort. The T1D cohort was more socially and economically advantaged in all 4 dimensions of health inequality.

CONCLUSIONS

There are significant differences in clinical and social characteristics of adolescents with T2D and T1D in Canada. Both have inadequate glycemic control with evidence of onset and progression of diabetes-related complications.

Cultivating Innovative Pragmatic Cluster-Randomized Registry Trials Embedded in Hemodialysis Care: Workshop Proceedings From 2018

Hemodialysis is a life-sustaining treatment for persons with kidney failure. However, those on hemodialysis still face a poor quality of life and a short life expectancy. High-quality research evidence from large randomized controlled trials is needed to identify interventions that improve the experiences, outcomes, and health care of persons receiving hemodialysis. With the support of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and its Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research, the Innovative Clinical Trials in Hemodialysis Centers initiative brought together Canadian and international kidney researchers, patients, health care providers, and health administrators to participate in a workshop held in Toronto, Canada, on June 2 and 3, 2018. The workshop served to increase knowledge and awareness about the conduct of innovative, pragmatic, cluster-randomized registry trials embedded into routine hemodialysis care and provided an opportunity to discuss and build support for new trial ideas. The workshop content included structured presentations, facilitated group discussions, and expert panel feedback. Partnerships and promising trial ideas borne out of the workshop will continue to be developed to support the implementation of future large-scale trials.

Clinical care gaps and solutions in diabetes and advanced chronic kidney disease: a patient-oriented qualitative research study

BACKGROUND

Patients with diabetes and advanced chronic kidney disease face a high health care burden. As part of a patient-oriented research initiative to identify ways to better support patients' diabetes care, we explored their health care experience and solutions for patient-centred diabetes care.

METHODS

We engaged 2 patients with advanced kidney disease and diabetes to join our multidisciplinary team as full research partners. They were involved in our design and conduct of the study, the analysis of the results and knowledge translation. We conducted qualitative interviews (1:1 semistructured interviews and focus groups) with patients with a history of both diabetes (type 1 or 2) and advanced kidney disease including those using dialysis. We identified overarching themes using individual and team analysis and conducted interviews until data saturation was reached.

RESULTS

Twelve participants were interviewed between October 2017 and February 2018. Six people were interviewed in 2 separate focus groups (consisting of 4 and 2 participants) and 6 participated in 1:1 interviews with our team. Participants described being burdened by medical appointments, strict conflicting diets, costly diabetes therapies and fragmented, siloed health care. They indicated that self-management support, education and coordinated diabetes care might better support their diabetes care.

INTERPRETATION

Patients with complex medical comorbidities face many challenges traversing a health care system organized around single diseases. Researchers and policy-makers should study and develop patient-centred diabetes care strategies to better support these high-risk patients.

Diabetes Management in Older Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Older adults often live with chronic disease including diabetes and its complications. In this review, we examine the complexity and heterogeneity of older adults with diabetes and chronic kidney disease, explore the nuances in their diabetes-related monitoring, and discuss their best diabetes management.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although there remains an overall lack of studies in older adults with diabetes and chronic kidney disease, recent reports have highlighted their vulnerabilities. These individuals face an increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, frailty, dysglycemia, polypharmacy, declining kidney function, and acute kidney injury. Their diabetes management should focus upon safer antihyperglycemic medications, close monitoring, and care individualization. Older adults with diabetes and chronic kidney disease are a complex population who requires careful diabetes management and monitoring. Research efforts might focus on improving the care and outcomes of these patients.

Nonconventional diabetes-related care strategies for patients with chronic kidney disease: A scoping review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk of diabetes-related complications. Diabetes care can support these individuals, but outpatient clinic appointments can be difficult to attend, given their already high burden of multimorbidity.

METHODS

We systematically searched the medical and grey literature for studies that evaluated the effect of nonconventional diabetes care strategies on diabetes-related outcomes in adults with stages 2-5 CKD or using dialysis (end of search December 30, 2017). We included both randomized-controlled trials and observational studies. Study selection and data extraction were completed by two independent reviewers. Diabetes-related outcomes included glycemic, blood pressure, and lipid control, along with microvascular complications, macrovascular complications, and death.

RESULTS

After screening 2177 relevant citations, we identified 34 studies which met inclusion. The majority were observational studies. Studies were frequently small, single-centered, and excluded patients with more advanced CKD. Nonconventional diabetes care strategies included community-based care, unique self-management and education programs, nurse-led care clinics, dialysis-based diabetes programs, telemedicine, and interdisciplinary care clinics. Programs were most often developed by study investigators. Although there were limitations to several of the included studies, programs were described to have modest effects on physiologic outcomes, and in some cases, diabetes-related complications and death.

CONCLUSIONS

Nonconventional diabetes-related care might be helpful to patients with CKD. Prior to developing and implementing programs, however, it will be important to study them more rigorously, understand their acceptability to patients, and evaluate their costs and feasibility in a real-world setting.

The Health and Health Care of Adults With Type 1 And 2 Diabetes Across the Spectrum of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rates

OBJECTIVES

Little is known about the health and health-care patterns of patients with diabetes according to their estimated glomerular filtration rates, especially within a publicly funded health-care system.

METHODS

Using linked health-care databases in Ontario, Canada, we performed a population-based study of adults 50 years of age and older (mean age, 68 years) with prevalent diabetes on January 1, 2014. We categorized patients according to their levels of kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥90, 60 to 89, 30 to 59, 15 to 29 or <15 mL/min/1.73 m², or the receipt of ongoing maintenance dialysis). We then followed patients for 2 years to determine: 1) their level of contact with health-care providers (i.e. visits to family doctors, specialists); 2) their use and repeated use of acute medical services (i.e. hospitalizations and emergency department encounters; 3) diabetes-related monitoring and screening (i.e. glycated hemoglobin and cholesterol tests, vision screening); 4) glycemic and lipid control; and 5) diabetes-related outcomes.

RESULTS

There were 569,384 patients in our study. Most had estimated glomerular filtration rates between 60 and 89 mL/min/1.73 m². At baseline, patients with lower kidney function had longer durations of diabetes and more comorbidities. Over 2 years of follow up, they had higher burdens of medical care, excessive diabetes monitoring and were underscreened for diabetes-related complications. Although metabolic control was reasonable across groups, patients with low kidney function had more hospital encounters and more diabetes-related complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with diabetes and low kidney function are a vulnerable population that faces health system challenges and care gaps. Suggestions for policy and practice are discussed.