Improving end-of-life care for ESRD patients: an initiative for professionals

The Coalition for Supportive Care of Kidney Patients convened subject matter experts (SMEs) to assess the current state of palliative care for pre-dialysis (chronic kidney disease) and end-stage renal disease patients (stages 3-5). The SMEs noted that in the final month of life, dialysis patients have the higher percentage of hospitalizations, longer length of stay, greater intensive care admissions, and higher number of deaths in hospitals than cancer or heart failure patients, but use hospice only half as much as these two groups. The group identified a strategic approach and framework for achieving specific aims to improve palliative care education of health care providers, raise awareness of supportive care resources, define palliative care skills for nephrologists, and continue the implementation of shared decision-making for individualized patient-centered care.