Nephrologist Care and Outcomes in Renal Insufficiency

摘要

In the studies supported by AHRQ Grant No: R01 HSO9398, we found that patients with chronic kidney disease who see a nephrologist excessively late during the course of their disease are at risk of experiencing several detrimental outcomes: inadequate preparation of vascular access for hemodialysis, higher mortality once on renal replacement therapy, and lower access to renal transplantation. Patients to be most prone to delayed referral to a nephrologist are of low socioeconomic status and non-white race. All these outcomes are costly to society by way of loss of lives, higher health care costs and also by means of creating inequalities or enhancing such that already exist.