Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Guideline Adherence - A Quality Improvement Study

Chronic Kidney Disease Guideline Adherence - a Cluster Randomized Controlled Quality Improvement Study

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is defined as kidney damage for greater than 3 months or a glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min per 1.73m2 for greater than 3 months. Patients with CKD are at high risk for development of cardiovascular disease and metabolic complications. Guidelines for the care of patients with CKD have been developed by the National Kidney Foundation. Despite the wide availability of these guidelines, adherence is low. The goal of the current study is to evaluate whether a multifactorial intervention, including a CKD registry, will improve CKD guideline adherence. The hypothesis is that providers exposed to a multifactorial clinical intervention including education, academic detailing, and a CKD registry will be more likely to adhere to CKD guidelines than those only exposed to education.

Providers:

Inclusion Criteria:

• All primary care providers at the Wade Park Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) will be eligible for the study

Patients:

Inclusion Criteria:

• Receive primary care from a provider at the Wade Park VAMC

• Have:

  • CKD as defined by an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) less than 60 on two separate occasions 90 to 730 days apart,
  • diabetes, OR
  • hypertension

Exclusion Criteria:

• End-stage renal disease
• Renal transplant recipients
• Less than 18 years of age on July 1, 2009
• No primary care visit between Jan 1, 2008 and July 1, 2009