Using an electronic self-management tool to support patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD): a CKD clinic self-care model.

New healthcare delivery models are needed to enhance the patient experience and improve quality of care for individuals with chronic conditions such as kidney disease. One potential avenue is to implement self-management strategies. There is growing evidence that self-management interventions help optimize various aspects of chronic disease management. With the increasing use of information technology (IT) in health care, chronic disease management programs are incorporating IT solutions to support patient self-management practices. IT solutions have the ability to promote key principles of self-management, namely education, empowerment, and collaboration. Positive clinical outcomes have been demonstrated for a number of chronic conditions when IT solutions were incorporated into self-management programs. There is a paucity of evidence for self-management in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Furthermore, IT strategies have not been tested in this patient population to the same extent as other chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension). Therefore, it is currently unknown if IT strategies will promote self-management behaviors and lead to improvements in overall patient care. We designed and developed an IT solution called My KidneyCare Centre to support self-management strategies for patients with CKD. In this review, we discuss the rationale and vision of incorporating an electronic self-management tool to support the care of patients with CKD.

Digital Applications Targeting Medication Safety in Ambulatory High-Risk CKD Patients: Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients with CKD are at risk for adverse drug reactions, but effective community-based preventive programs remain elusive. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of two digital applications designed to improve outpatient medication safety. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: In a 1-year randomized controlled trial, 182 outpatients with advanced CKD were randomly assigned to receive a smartphone preloaded with either eKidneyCare (n=89) or MyMedRec (n=93). The experimental intervention, eKidneyCare, includes a medication feature that prompted patients to review medications monthly and report changes, additions, or medication problems to clinicians for reconciliation and early intervention. The active comparator was MyMedRec, a commercially available, standalone application for storing medication and other health information that can be shared with patients' providers. The primary outcome was the rate of medication discrepancy, defined as differences between the patient's reported history and the clinic's medication record, at exit. RESULTS: At exit, the eKidneyCare group had fewer total medication discrepancies compared with MyMedRec (median, 0.45; interquartile range, 0.33-0.63 versus 0.67; interquartile range, 0.40-1.00; P=0.001), and the change from baseline was 0.13±0.27 in eKidneyCare and 0.30±0.41 in MyMedRec (P=0.007). eKidneyCare use also reduced the severity of clinically relevant medication discrepancies in all categories, including those with the potential to cause serious harm (estimated rate ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.27 to 0.63). Usage data revealed that 72% of patients randomized to eKidneyCare completed one or more medication reviews per month, whereas only 30% of patients in the MyMedRec group (adjusted for dropouts) kept their medication profile on their phone. CONCLUSIONS: In patients who are high risk and have CKD, eKidneyCare significantly reduced the rate and severity of medication discrepancies, the proximal cause of medication errors, compared with the active comparator. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY NAME AND REGISTRATION NUMBER: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT:02905474.

Quality improvement through the introduction of interdisciplinary geriatric hemodialysis rehabilitation care.

BACKGROUND: Provision of rehabilitation with the aim of restoring personal independence in elderly hemodialysis patients faces several challenges. DESIGN: Quality improvement report. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: First 3 years of experience of an inpatient geriatric hemodialysis rehabilitation program in Toronto. Patients with new-onset disability from prolonged illness or an acute event rendering them incapable of living independently. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN: Provision of in-patient rehabilitation with on-site dialysis; a simplified referral system; preferential admission of elderly dialysis patients; short daily dialysis sessions; integrated multidisciplinary care by experts in rehabilitation, geriatric medicine, and nephrology; and reciprocal continued medical education among staff. MEASURES: Outcome measures were percentage of patients discharged home, score on the Functional Independence Measure, and attainment of rehabilitation goals. RESULTS: In the first 36 months, 164 dialysis patients aged 74.5 +/- 7.8 years were admitted. On admission, patients had a mean Charlson comorbidity score of 7.8 +/- 2.5, 98% had difficulty walking, and 84% required help with bed-to-chair transfers. After a median of 48.5 days, 111 patients (69%) were discharged home; 15 patients (9%), to an assisted-living setting; 20 patients (12%), to a long-term care facility; and 18 patients (11%), to other facilities for acute or palliative care. Of those completing therapy, 82% met some or all of their rehabilitation goals. LIMITATIONS: The program relied on the leadership and drive of key personnel. Discharge disposition as an outcome can be affected by many factors, and definition of attainment of rehabilitation goals is arbitrary. CONCLUSION: The introduction of an integrated dialysis rehabilitation service can help older dialysis patients with new-onset functional decline return to their home.

Integrating a Smartphone-Based Self-Management System into Usual Care of Advanced CKD.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patient self-management has been shown to improve health outcomes. We developed a smartphone-based system to boost self-care by patients with CKD and integrated its use into usual CKD care. We determined its acceptability and examined changes in several clinical parameters. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: We recruited patients with stage 4 or 5 CKD attending outpatient renal clinics who responded to a general information newsletter about this 6-month proof-of-principle study. The smartphone application targeted four behavioral elements: monitoring BP, medication management, symptom assessment, and tracking laboratory results. Prebuilt customizable algorithms provided real-time personalized patient feedback and alerts to providers when predefined treatment thresholds were crossed or critical changes occurred. Those who died or started RRT within the first 2 months were replaced. Only participants followed for 6 months after recruitment were included in assessing changes in clinical measures. RESULTS: In total, 47 patients (26 men; mean age =59 years old; 33% were ≥65 years old) were enrolled; 60% had never used a smartphone. User adherence was high (>80% performed ≥80% of recommended assessments) and sustained. The mean reductions in home BP readings between baseline and exit were statistically significant (systolic BP, -3.4 mmHg; 95% confidence interval, -5.0 to -1.8 and diastolic BP, -2.1 mmHg; 95% confidence interval, -2.9 to -1.2); 27% with normal clinic BP readings had newly identified masked hypertension. One hundred twenty-seven medication discrepancies were identified; 59% were medication errors that required an intervention to prevent harm. In exit interviews, patients indicated feeling more confident and in control of their condition; clinicians perceived patients to be better informed and more engaged. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating a smartphone-based self-management system into usual care of patients with advanced CKD proved feasible and acceptable, and it appeared to be clinically useful. The results provide a strong rationale for a randomized, controlled trial.

Education for patients with progressive CKD and acute-start dialysis.

For individuals living with CKD and those who have been discovered to have ESRD, the decisions facing them can be daunting. Such decisions include having renal replacement therapy (RRT) or conservative care, having a kidney transplant, or selecting a modality of dialysis that would fit their lifestyle and values. Education at this critical time is essential, but it must be tailored to the individual and his or her readiness to learn, and it must be provided with empathy and understanding of the chronicity of the disease and the magnitude of the effect of kidney failure on their life. We present strategies derived from education and psychology that can assist health-care practitioners to provide such education and support to individuals with advanced CKD. We also present an approach to educate and support those who have urgently started dialysis and require chronic RRT. This educational model has its basis in theories of education and decision-making and has been used with success in this population.

Dialysis modality choices among chronic kidney disease patients: identifying the gaps to support patients on home-based therapies.

BACKGROUND: Home dialysis is a cost-effective renal replacement strategy, which provides improved quality of life compared to conventional in-center hemodialysis (CHD). To date, most studies support the use of multidisciplinary chronic kidney disease (CKD) clinics to facilitate timely initiation of dialysis. This is an observational cohort study examining 486 patients with CKD over the period of 2001-2007 to ascertain potential demographic differences among patients transitioned to in-center versus home dialysis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: From January 2001 to December 2007, 486 patients with CKD attended the multidisciplinary renal management clinic at the University Health Network in Toronto. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-three of the 486 patients were initiated on renal replacement therapy [59 to center hemodialysis (CHD), 15 to home hemodialysis (HHD) and 79 to home peritoneal dialysis (PD)]. HHD patients were younger (48 ± 15 years) than those who selected CHD (62 ± 16 years) or PD (64 ± 16 years). Although the gender distribution was similar overall, the percentage of single males was higher in CHD versus home dialysis patients (29 vs. 15%, P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in other demographic, clinical and biochemical parameters at the time of dialysis initiation. Disinterest in home dialysis by patients and their families (25.4%) and lack of social support (12.1%) constituted the main barriers to home dialysis. Medical contraindications for home dialysis were present among 11% of the patients. Other less frequent barriers were inadequate space, communication barrier and inability to perform their own dialysis. CONCLUSIONS: Sixty-one percent of patients requiring dialysis chose a home dialysis modality. Patients' and their families' disinterest in home dialysis and lack of support (either perceived or actual) represented the major overall barriers to adoption of home dialysis.