Finding a common language for patient safety in CKD

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Patient safety remains a critical objective in healthcare, yet adverse events persist at unacceptable rates.
• Chronic kidney disease (CKD) not requiring dialysis poses unique patient safety risks, contributing significantly to poor health outcomes.
• Current safety systems often fail in CKD populations due to care occurring outside traditional healthcare settings and underrecognition of the disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the spectrum of patient safety concerns specific to chronic kidney disease (CKD).
• To highlight the need for standardized, disease-specific indicators to improve patient safety in CKD.
• To identify modifiable care processes contributing to adverse events in CKD patients.

Main Methods:

• This is a review article, synthesizing existing literature on patient safety in CKD.
• The review examines the impact of underrecognized CKD and renal function impairment on safety risks.
• It analyzes medication errors and other care process failures contributing to adverse events in CKD.

Main Results:

• Adverse safety events are frequent in CKD patients, often linked to underappreciated disease severity and renal impairment.
• Medication errors are a significant contributor, but various other modifiable care processes also increase risk.
• Existing general patient safety frameworks are insufficient for the specific needs of CKD care.

Conclusions:

• A substantial portion of poor outcomes in CKD is attributable to adverse safety events.
• Developing and implementing disease-specific standards and indicators for CKD patient safety is essential.
• Targeted interventions are needed to reduce adverse events and improve overall outcomes for individuals with CKD.