A National Vision for Quality Improvement in Canadian Nephrology—The Canadian Nephrology Quality Improvement and Implementation Science Collaborative (CN-QUIS): An Opinion Piece

摘要

In Canada, more than 40 000 patients are receiving dialysis or transplant care, and an additional 4 million are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD).1,2 The provision of health care for this population is complex and expensive. Patients seen by nephrologists were rated as the most complex based on a 9-marker measure of complexity,3 and the annual direct costs for dialysis treatments alone total approximately $1.9 billion.4 This environment exerts pressure on the health care system to provide both high-quality and cost-effective care for patients with CKD, at a time when the incidence and prevalence of patients receiving dialysis and transplant care in Canada are steadily increasing.4 Therefore, it is not surprising a recent survey found that more than 40% of nephrologists reported burnout, one of the highest proportions of all specialties.5