Characterizing the ideal clinical office system for nephrology

Clinical information technology (IT) systems that support nephrology-specific content can facilitate the coordinated, progressive, and comprehensive care of all patients with renal disease including those with each stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The ideal clinical IT system should have flexible features to meet the needs of individualized practice patterns, yet also have tools to enhance continuity, measure performance, and deliver decision support features that assist the nephrologist in providing optimal care for the CKD patient. This article provides insight into the complexities of engaging in the process of technology adoption, including selection, integration, and implementation while emphasizing the utility of using a continuous quality improvement paradigm to identify and achieve positive results from the adoption and integration of a clinical IT system into outpatient clinical practice of nephrology.