Kidney Supportive Care potentially a new standard of care

15 November 2019

Together with a team of researchers from The University of Queensland and QUT, CBEH's Postdoctoral Fellow Marcin Sowa and Professor Luke Connelly have published new work on the pattern of service use and costs for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The work focuses on a comparison of patients who are treated with a patient-centred multidisciplinary care model that is referred to as “kidney supportive care” (KSC) and those who undergo dialysis. KSC is designed for patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD).

The goal of this study was to characterize the types, frequencies, and costs of services accessed by patients enrolled in a KSC program. The research team analyzed health care utilization data prospectively collected from 102 patients who enrolled in the KSC program during the first 52 weeks of its existence.

Key Findings

  • Dialysis treatments accounted for 70% of visits and 49% of costs
  • Patients receiving dialysis had higher utilization of outpatient services and associated costs, compared to patients who were not dialyzed
  • The presence of diabetes and the choice of conservative pathway were both predictors of higher frequency and cost of services
  • Longer program participation was associated with lower weekly utilization and cost. 

The program attracted patients representing various characteristics, pathways, needs, and outcomes. Exploring these patterns will enable a better understanding of the patient population and improved service planning, in KSC and similar programs that aim to comprehensively address the needs of patients with advanced CKD and ESKD.

Read the full article

Contact

DR Marcin Sowa

Dr Marcin Sowa

Professor Luke Connelly

Professor Luke Connelly

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