Top 3 Easy Ways You Can Make an Impact During National Kidney Month

Once again, National Kidney Month is upon us. As nephrologists we deal with kidney disease on a daily basis, but the unfortunate reality is that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a relatively unrecognized condition. Even though 1 out of 10 adults in the United States has kidney disease,[1] CKD has yet to reach the public awareness level of other chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. In fact, approximately 60 percent of patients with late-stage kidney disease are unaware their kidneys are failing.[2]

What does that mean for us as nephrologists? Our unique position as leaders in kidney care provides the opportunity to educate our patients, our loved ones and others in our communities. Here are three simple steps you can take to help raise awareness during National Kidney Month.

1. Tell your CKD patients to take an in-person or online class. Whether it’s hosted by your practice or an outside organization, CKD education can help patients better understand their condition and take control of their health. Patients who participate in CKD education are four times more likely to start dialysis with a modality that suits their lifestyle, two times more likely to start dialysis with a safe and preferred access and two times more likely to start treatment in an outpatient setting.[3] Kidney Smart is a great example of no-cost CKD education for your patients. Find classes for your patients here: KidneySmart.org/Physicians.

2. Encourage your patients, office staff, friends and family to attend the Google+ Hangout on Air on World Kidney Day. With 1.4 million people on dialysis worldwide, it’s important to come together as a community to help educate the world on kidney disease risk factors and steps toward prevention of kidney failure. Join me on March 13 as I discuss this global health concern with three guests—a nephrologist, Dr. Topoti Mukherjee from DaVita NephroLife in India; a dialysis patient representing Dialysis Patient Citizens; and a representative from Bridge of Life – DaVita Medical Missions—for this 30-minute G+ Hangout on Air. To RSVP and find more details, visit http://bit.ly/WKDHangout.

3. Identify opportunities to reach patients before they “crash” into dialysis. Consider establishing or strengthening relationships with groups representing patients who have hypertension or diabetes, or reaching out to interest groups for African Americans, Hispanics and other groups with a greater-than-average risk for kidney disease. Or partner with local primary care providers (PCPs) and educate them on the risk factors of kidney disease. Kidney disease is the third most misdiagnosed condition by PCPs. Empower PCPs in your area by pointing them to the doctor and patient resources at DaVita.com/KnowYourRisk. Tools include a kidney disease risk quiz, a diet helper application and a kidney disease education class finder.

Elevating the awareness of kidney disease among the general population is no easy feat and will require the continued support of everyone in the kidney care community. I hope that we can take National Kidney Month as a chance to unite and help spread the word to the many Americans who may be at risk for kidney disease or have already developed it, as well as to educate those worldwide who may not know their risk for CKD. I’d love to hear how you all work to educate others on these crucial topics; share with me in the comments below or on Twitter with hashtag #kidneyaware.