Participant follow-up in the Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) after initial detection.

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• The National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) aimed to detect chronic kidney disease (CKD) in at-risk populations.
• This study evaluated participant follow-up care within three months of CKD detection through the KEEP program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess whether participants in the KEEP program sought physician care after CKD detection.
• To identify the types of care received and interventions undertaken by participants post-detection.
• To understand the impact of CKD screening and education on patient healthcare-seeking behavior.

Main Methods:

• The KEEP program offered free, community-based health screenings to raise awareness and detect CKD.
• Participants received laboratory results and educational materials; physicians received patient results and clinical guidelines.
• Follow-up forms were sent to 72,395 participants, with a 28.4% response rate analyzed.

Main Results:

• 71% of respondents reported seeing a physician for follow-up care after the KEEP screening.
• Participants with detected CKD were 24% more likely to see a physician compared to those without CKD.
• Physician follow-up increased with lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), higher albuminuria, and more advanced CKD stages.

Conclusions:

• The KEEP program, combining detection and education, effectively motivates at-risk individuals to pursue medical care.
• Further long-term follow-up is necessary to ascertain if this early detection and follow-up translate into improved clinical outcomes.
• The study highlights the potential of screening programs to influence patient behavior and address risks for mortality and cardiovascular events.