Augmented Nurse Care Management in CKD Stages 4 to 5: A Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: Outcomes for patients with late-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the United States are suboptimal. There is poor education and preparation for end-stage kidney disease, as well as a high rate of hospitalization in this group of patients. STUDY DESIGN: A randomized, parallel-group, 2-arm, controlled trial. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: The study was conducted at 3 sites: a clinic of an academic medical center, a public hospital academic clinic, and a community-based private practice. All participants had late-stage CKD (stages 4-5 CKD). Patients were excluded only if they had significant cognitive impairment. INTERVENTION: The care management intervention involved nurse care manager coordination aided by the use of a disease-based informatics system for monitoring patients' clinical status, enhancing CKD education, and facilitating preparation for end-stage kidney disease. The comparison control group received usual late-stage CKD care alone. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was rate of hospitalization. MEASUREMENTS: Rates of preemptive transplantation, home dialysis, hemodialysis (HD) starts without a hospitalization, and HD therapy initiation rates with catheters or with functioning accesses. RESULTS: 130 patients were randomly assigned. The hospitalization rate was significantly lower in the intervention group versus controls: 0.61 versus 0.92 per year, respectively (incidence rate ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.43-0.99; P=0.04). Peritoneal dialysis or preemptive transplantation was the initial end-stage kidney disease treatment in 11 of 30 (37%) participants receiving the intervention versus 3 of 29 (10%) receiving usual care. Among HD starts, treatment was initiated without hospitalization in 11 of 19 (58%) participants in the intervention group versus 6 of 26 (23%) in the control group. At the time of HD therapy initiation, a catheter was present in 7 of 19 (37%) participants in the intervention group versus 18 of 26 (69%) in the control group. A functioning arteriovenous access was in place in 10 of 19 (53%) participants in the intervention group and 7 of 26 (27%) in the control group LIMITATIONS: Moderate sample size, limited geographic scope. CONCLUSIONS: The augmented nurse care management intervention resulted in reduced hospitalizations in late-stage CKD and there were suggestions of improved end-stage kidney disease preparation. Given suboptimal outcomes in late-stage CKD, care management interventions could potentially improve patient outcomes.

Epidemiology and Challenges to the Management of Advanced CKD.

Advanced CKD is a period of CKD that differs greatly from earlier stages of CKD in terms of treatment goals. Treatment during this period presents particular challenges as further loss of kidney function heralds the need for renal replacement therapy. Successful management during this period increases the likelihood of improved transitions to ESRD. However, there are substantial barriers to optimal advanced CKD care. In this review, we will discuss advanced CKD definitions and epidemiology and outcomes.