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Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Published on: June 16, 2014
PATTERNS OF HEALTHCARE ENCOUNTERS EXPERIENCED BY PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
Janet L Welch1, Julie Meek2, Rebecca J Bartlett Ellis1
1Indiana University School of Nursing, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Journal of Renal Care
|April 4, 2017
Summary
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have frequent healthcare encounters, even in early stages. Understanding these patterns is key to improving care transitions and reducing hospitalizations for CKD patients.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Health Services Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Patterns of healthcare encounters for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients across all stages are not well-documented.
- Healthcare resource utilization is critical for managing CKD and its complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe healthcare resource utilization patterns in patients with Stages 1-5 CKD.
- To provide insights into the healthcare experiences of individuals with CKD.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective descriptive study design.
- Utilized de-identified healthcare insurance claims data from five US databases (ICD-9-CM codes).
- Analyzed claims from 1,987 unique CKD patients (Stages 1-5) with 110,594 healthcare encounters in 2014.
Main Results:
- Higher healthcare encounters observed with advanced CKD stages, including increased hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and specialist consultations.
- Surprisingly, patients in earlier CKD stages experienced a median of 14-17 healthcare encounters annually.
- Healthcare resources are utilized to manage CKD causes and its systemic health effects.
Conclusions:
- Understanding CKD patient healthcare encounter patterns is vital for managing care transitions.
- Interventions to mitigate risks during care transitions may reduce medication management issues, ED visits, and preventable hospitalizations.
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