Researchers now know that treating chronic kidney disease (CKD) in its early stages can prevent dialysis and reduce heart problems that go along with kidney disease. Computerized tools may help primary care doctors to diagnose the disease earlier and computer reminders may help doctors to prescribe the best treatments. In this project the investigators will test computer reminders in primary care clinics to see if they improve treatment of early chronic kidney disease and to see if it can promote referral to nephrology.
The investigators are conducting a randomized trial to determine the effect of a health information technology (HIT) application to calculate risk progression of end stage renal disease (ESRD). The primary outcome is the completion of the necessary tests for the risk prediction model (urine albumin to creatinine ratio, serum calcium, serum phosphate, serum albumin, and serum bicarbonate) for CKD patients in primary care. Secondary outcomes will include nephrology referrals, doubling of serum creatinine, initiation of hemodialysis, and primary care provider (PCP) satisfaction. In the analysis, all patients over the age of 18 who have a visit with one of physicians involved in the trial during the intervention period will be eligible and patients with stage 3-5 CKD will be included. Physicians are the subjects in this study, as the intervention is a behavioral intervention for physicians. The physicians' patients will not actively be recruited and will only indirectly be affected by the study. The application creates blocks of patient appointments for each physician and randomly assigns patients to intervention and control arms within these blocks.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
115
The intervention patient's physician is shown an estimate of the patient's 5 year risk of ESRD with a link for further information.
North Shore Physicians Group
Danvers, Massachusetts, United States
Laboratory tests completed
Dichotomous measure of whether laboratory tests necessary to calculate the risk prediction model (urine albumin to creatinine ratio, serum calcium, serum phosphate, serum albumin, and serum bicarbonate) were resulted in the electronic health record for patients who did not previously have all of these tests done in the prior year.
Time frame: 6 months following primary care visit
Urine microalbumin to creatinine ratio test completed
Dichotomous measure of whether urine microalbumin to creatinine ratio test was completed for patients who did not previously have these tests done in the prior year.
Time frame: 6 months following primary care visit
Referral of patient from PCP to nephrologist
Dichotomous measure of whether a patient was seen by a nephrologist for patients who did not previously have these tests done in the prior year.
Time frame: 6 months following primary care visit
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