Machine learning approaches for predicting and diagnosing chronic kidney disease: current trends, challenges,...

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) represents a significant global health challenge, contributing to increased morbidity and mortality rates. This review paper explores the current landscape of machine learning (ML) techniques employed in CKD prediction and diagnosis, highlighting recent trends, inherent challenges, innovative solutions, and future directions. Through an extensive literature survey, we identified key limitations and challenges, including the use of small datasets, the absence of stage-specific predictions, insufficient focus on model interpretability, and a lack of discussions on safeguarding patient privacy in managing sensitive CKD data. We considered these limitations and challenges as research gaps, and this review paper aims to address them. We emphasize the potential of Generative AI to augment dataset sizes, thereby enhancing model performance and reliability. To address the lack of stage-specific predictions, we highlight the need for effective multi-class models to accurately predict CKD stages, enabling tailored treatments and improved patient outcomes. Furthermore, we discuss the critical importance of model interpretability, utilizing methods such as SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) and LIME (Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations) to ensure transparency and trust among healthcare professionals. Privacy concerns surrounding sensitive patient data are also addressed. We present innovative privacy-preserving solutions using technologies, such as homomorphic encryption, federated learning, and blockchain. These solutions facilitate collaboration across institutions while maintaining patient confidentiality and addressing challenges related to limited generalizability and reproducibility in CKD prediction. This review informs healthcare professionals and researchers about advancements in ML for CKD prediction, to improve patient outcomes and address research gaps.