A Patient Decision Aid About Conservative Kidney Management in Advanced Kidney Disease: A Randomized Pilot Trial

Available decision aids for patients about treatment of advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) often lack information on conservative kidney management (CKM). We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a decision aid on CKM among patients with advanced CKD and their family members.

Randomized pilot trial.

Patients aged≥75 years with stage 4 or 5 CKD and their family members at 4 medical centers in the greater Seattle area between August 2020 and December 2021.

Usual care with or without a decision aid on CKM.

Acceptability was assessed by attrition rates between the initial study visit (T1) and the 3-month follow-up evaluation (T3). The primary outcome and measure of feasibility was the proportion of participants who discussed CKM with a health care provider between T1 and T3.

We randomized 92 patients of whom 86 (55.8% male; age 82±6 years; 82.6% White) completed T1-42 in the usual care arm and 44 in the usual care plus decision aid arm-and 56 family members of whom 53 (18.9% male; age 71±11 years; 86.8% White) completed T1-20 in usual care arm and 33 in the usual care plus decisions aid arm. The attrition rates were 21% versus 21% (P=1.0) for patients, and 10% versus 18% (P=0.46) for family members in the usual care versus usual care plus decisions aid arms. Receipt of the decision aid significantly increased discussion of CKM with a health care provider for patients (26.4% vs 3.0%, P=0.007) and family members (26.9% vs 0, P=0.02).

Possible limited generalizability because participants were a relatively homogenous group. The decision aid focuses on CKM and may be less applicable to those with limited knowledge of kidney replacement therapies.

A CKM decision aid was feasible and acceptable, and increased discussion of this treatment option with health care providers. This aid may serve as a useful adjunct to the currently available educational tools on treatments for advanced CKD.

Grant from a not-for-profit entity (National Palliative Care Research Center).

Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with study number NCT04919941.