New Research Illustrates How to Drive Earlier Diagnosis and Treatment of Kidney Disease
A new survey in partnership with the
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In a month-long survey of 4,445 patients with diabetes and/or hypertension, two of the most prevalent risk factors for CKD, results showed a significant gap in awareness—two in three of these high-risk patients were not aware of their risk for kidney disease. The study uses the Patient Activation Measure® (PAM®) to evaluate surveyed patients' knowledge, skills and confidence in managing their own health. Highly activated patients feel comfortable advocating for themselves and asking for support from their care team to manage their own health, while low-activation patients need more targeted support and resources. The study found that, of those surveyed:
- 70% of highly activated patients with diabetes have discussed kidney health with their healthcare provider, compared to just 38% of low-activation patients with diabetes.
- 51% of highly activated patients with hypertension have discussed kidney health with their healthcare provider, compared to just 7% of low-activation patients with hypertension.
Critically, the study goes one step further, identifying that patient activation and the frequency of patient-provider conversations are the "two most powerful" factors in predicting whether patients pursue preventive behaviors to safeguard their kidney health. For example, patients who were highly activated and had frequent conversations with their providers were more likely to engage in daily lifestyle changes, like measuring their salt intake. The study is particularly relevant to the care of older adults, given the mean age of the study population was 58.8 years.
“Given what we know about treatments that can prevent the progression of kidney disease, patients with diabetes and hypertension remain unaware, untested and untreated for CKD for way too long,” said
The survey results also reinforce the notion that patients who can independently manage their health generally have better outcomes, finding that patients with higher activation levels are significantly more likely to have discussed kidney health with their provider. Additionally, activated patients with diabetes or hypertension are more aware of the link between their current condition and kidney health.
“This research illustrates that the frequency of patient-provider conversations and patient activation influence patient awareness of their risk for CKD,” said
CKD affects an estimated 37 million people in the
To bridge this awareness gap, it is critical to encourage patient-provider conversations about kidney health and support activation in patients. There is also growing recognition that educating and engaging patients in their care helps drive preventive behaviors. Using the PAM as a predictor of a patient’s awareness of kidney disease risk and engagement, providers can tailor interventions to each patient based on their activation level. Assessments of patient activation are already in use as a quality measure in some kidney care programs, like the
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