Address health equity among patients with CKD using home-first approach

Social determinants of health (SDoH) are known to put some individuals at greater risk for chronic diseases, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is an under-recognized public health crisis that affects an estimated 37 million individuals in the U.S., or more than one in seven adults. SDoH disparities in patients with CKD were first identified in the early 1980s but have been further explored in recent years. Current estimates suggest that Black Americans are nearly four times more likely, and Hispanics or Latinos are 1.3 times more likely to have kidney failure compared to white Americans. Additionally, recent research has focused on the role of the social environment and economic conditions in the pathway from CKD risk to the development and complications of CKD. Serving disadvantaged populations in the modern healthcare setting can be challenging because of multiple factors, including limited time during clinical visits. Due to the complex nature of CKD, it can take time to educate patients on the causes, stages, and mechanisms of the disease as well as how to manage it. As such, comprehensive care teams are required to effectively identify points that may be missed in a traditional setting. This white paper focuses on the opportunity to provide better care and improved outcomes to disenfranchised patients by bringing evidence-based kidney care into the patient’s home.

“Specifically addressing SDoH, such as access to care, can dramatically influence the development and progression of CKD”