A project which identifies people with progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD) earlier and improves access to treatment and patient outcomes has received £400,000 funding for expansion nationwide. The project is being led by the medical research charity Kidney Research UK, with funding from the Health Foundation.
The programme called ASSIST-CKD (ASSIST-Chronic Kidney Disease) looks for early signs of progressive kidney damage in patients by combining data from routine blood tests carried out by GPs and hospitals, using dedicated software to create graphs of kidney function over time.
It aims to help to reduce the burden of kidney disease and, through the early identification of patients with deteriorating kidney function, reduce the rate of late referral for dialysis, an important ambition for renal services across the UK.
Nearly 2 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with moderate-severe CKD by their GP and it is estimated that a further one million people remain undiagnosed. Early detection and treatment is critical and can help to delay or prevent the need for dialysis in some kidney patients.
Following the success of a smaller-scale project in the West Midlands, the ASSISTCKD project has received Health Foundation funding for expansion across 12 to 15 locations nationwide, covering a population of between five and eight million people.
As part of the programme, kidney function graphs are assessed by a laboratory scientist or renal nurse to review the trends in patients’ tests results. This identifies people with failing kidney function, to allow earlier intervention and treatment, often before the problem becomes too severe. Patients’ GPs are then alerted with a prompt that further action may be needed, and advice on treatment options is provided. Resources are also provided to help improve patients’ understanding of CKD, encouraging them to become involved in their care. They include practical advice on selfmanagement techniques and lifestyle changes which can help to slow down the progression of their kidney disease.
Since 2005, when the original communitywide CKD management system in the West Midlands first started, the number of patients starting dialysis per year at the Heart of England Foundation Trust (HEFT) has fallen by 16% compared to an increase of 8% in England as a whole. HEFT also has the lowest percentage of patients presenting late for dialysis in the UK.
