scholarly journals Enhancing primary care capacity in chronic kidney disease management: a quality improvement educational initiative

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. e046068
Author(s):  
Michelle D Smekal ◽  
Aminu K Bello ◽  
Maoliosa Donald ◽  
Deenaz Zaidi ◽  
Kerry McBrien ◽  
...  

BackgroundGaps in identification, medical management and appropriate referral for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are evident.ObjectiveWe designed and implemented an interactive educational intervention (accredited workshop) to improve primary care providers’ awareness of tools to support guideline-concordant CKD management.DesignWe used the Kern method to design the educational intervention and targeted the accredited workshops to primary care team members (physicians, nurses and allied health) in Alberta, Canada. We conducted anonymous pre-workshop and post-workshop surveys to identify practice-specific barriers to care, identify potential solutions, and evaluate provider confidence pre-intervention and post-intervention. We used non-parametric statistics to analyse Likert-type survey data and descriptive content analysis to categorise responses to open-ended survey questions.ResultsWe delivered 12 workshops to 114 providers from September 2017 through March 2019. Significant improvements (p<0.001) in confidence to appropriately identify, manage and refer patients with CKD were observed. Participants identified several patient-level, provider-level, and system-level barriers and potential solutions to care for patients with CKD; the majority of these barriers were addressed in the interactive workshop.ConclusionsThe Kern model was an effective methodology to design and implement an educational intervention to improve providers’ confidence in managing patients with CKD in primary care. Future research is needed to determine if these perceived knowledge and confidence improvements affect patient outcomes and whether improvements are sustained long term.

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 625-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leena Taji ◽  
Marisa Battistella ◽  
Allan K. Grill ◽  
Jessie Cunningham ◽  
Brenda L. Hemmelgarn ◽  
...  

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects up to 18% of those over the age of 65 years. Potentially inappropriate medication prescribing in people with CKD is common. Objectives: Develop a pragmatic list of medications used in primary care that required dose adjustment or avoidance in people with CKD, using a modified Delphi panel approach, followed by a consensus workshop. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search to identify potential medications. A group of 17 experts participated in a 3-round modified Delphi panel to identify medications for inclusion. A subsequent consensus workshop of 8 experts reviewed this list to prioritize medications for the development of point-of-care knowledge translation materials for primary care. Results: After a comprehensive literature review, 59 medications were included for consideration by the Delphi panel, with a further 10 medications added after the initial round. On completion of the 3 Delphi rounds, 66 unique medications remained, 63 requiring dose adjustment and 16 medications requiring avoidance in one or more estimated glomerular filtration rate categories. The consensus workshop prioritized this list further to 24 medications that must be dose-adjusted or avoided, including baclofen, metformin, and digoxin, as well as the newer SGLT2 inhibitor agents. Conclusion and Relevance: We have developed a concise list of 24 medications commonly used in primary care that should be dose-adjusted or avoided in people with CKD to reduce harm. This list incorporates new and frequently prescribed medications and will inform an updated, easy to access source for primary care providers.


2017 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth H. Mayer ◽  
Stephanie Loo ◽  
Phillip M. Crawford ◽  
Heidi M. Crane ◽  
Michael Leo ◽  
...  

Objectives: As the life expectancy of people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has increased, the spectrum of illness has evolved. We evaluated whether people living with HIV accessing primary care in US community health centers had higher morbidity compared with HIV-uninfected patients receiving care at the same sites. Methods: We compared data from electronic health records for 12 837 HIV-infected and 227 012 HIV-uninfected patients to evaluate the relative prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, dyslipidemia, and malignancies by HIV serostatus. We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate differences. Participants were patients aged ≥18 who were followed for ≥3 years (from January 2006 to December 2016) in 1 of 17 community health centers belonging to the Community Health Applied Research Network. Results: Nearly two-thirds of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients lived in poverty. Compared with HIV-uninfected patients, HIV-infected patients were significantly more likely to be diagnosed and/or treated for diabetes (odds ratio [OR] = 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22-1.41), hypertension (OR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.31-1.46), dyslipidemia (OR = 2.30; 95% CI, 2.17-2.43), chronic kidney disease (OR = 4.75; 95% CI, 4.23-5.34), lymphomas (OR = 4.02; 95% CI, 2.86-5.67), cancers related to human papillomavirus (OR = 5.05; 95% CI, 3.77-6.78), or other cancers (OR = 1.25; 95% CI, 1.10-1.42). The prevalence of stroke was higher among HIV-infected patients (OR = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.06-1.63) than among HIV-uninfected patients, but the prevalence of myocardial infarction or coronary artery disease did not differ between the 2 groups. Conclusions: As HIV-infected patients live longer, the increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases may complicate their clinical management, requiring primary care providers to be trained in chronic disease management for this population.


2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110278
Author(s):  
Katie Cueva ◽  
Melany Cueva ◽  
Laura Revels ◽  
Michelle Hensel ◽  
Mark Dignan

Background Culturally relevant education is an opportunity to reduce health disparities, and online learning is an emerging avenue for health promotion. In 2014–2019, a team based at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium developed, implemented, and evaluated culturally relevant online cancer education modules with, and for, Alaska’s tribal primary care providers. The project was guided by Indigenous Ways of Knowing and the principles of community-based participatory action research and was evaluated in alignment with empowerment theory. About 265 unique learners completed 1,898 end-of-module evaluation surveys between March 2015 and August 2019, and 13 people completed a follow-up survey up to 28 months post module completion. Key Findings Learners described the modules as culturally respectful and informative and reported feeling more knowledgeable and comfortable talking about cancer as a result of the modules. About 98% of the learners planned to reduce their cancer risk because of the modules, and all follow-up survey respondents had reduced their risk, including by quitting smoking, getting screened for cancer, eating healthier, and exercising more. About 98% of the learners planned to share information with their patients, families, friends, and community members because of the modules, with all follow-up survey respondents indicating that they had shared information about cancer from the modules. Implications for Practice and Further Research Culturally relevant online modules have the capacity for positive behavioral change and relatively high correlations between intent and behavior change. Future research could determine which aspects of the modules catalyzed reduced cancer risk and increased dissemination of cancer information.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S171-S171
Author(s):  
Anne Abbate ◽  
Lisa Chirch ◽  
Michael Christopher. Thompson ◽  
Dorothy Wakefield ◽  
Faryal Mirza ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Recommendations on screening HIV-infected (+) patients for bone disease exist. We sought to characterize awareness of and adherence to HIV-specific recommendations and assess risk factors for fracture in this population. Methods Primary care provider (PCP) and ID specialist awareness of screening recommendations was assessed using an anonymous electronic survey. We conducted interviews of 45 HIV+ patients and chart review. We calculated risk using the fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX). Email notifications were sent if an indication dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans was identified. Chart review was repeated 12 months later to assess response. Statistical methods included chi-square and Fisher’s exact test for categorical data, and t-tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for continuous data. A multivariate logistic regression examined the relationship between adult fragility fractures and covariates. Results No immunologic or virologic factors or exposure to specific antiretroviral therapies (ART) were associated with FFX (Table 1). FRAX score (hip, major osteoporotic fracture) successfully predicted FFX history (P = 0.002, P = 0.001, respectively). Overall, 35 (78%) patients qualified for DXA; 23 (66%) were men, only 8 (23%) had a previous DXA. Following provider notification, an additional 5 patients had DXA ordered. DXA was recommended for all patients with FFX, compared with 68% without a fracture (P = 0.02). In logistic regression modeling, increasing age, male sex, and months of ART therapy were associated with FFX (Table 2). Twenty-seven providers responded to the pre-intervention survey, of whom only 35% were aware of screening recommendations for HIV+ patients. Of the 18 providers who responded post-intervention, 63% were aware of these recommendations (Table 3). Conclusion A brief educational intervention resulted in increased awareness of HIV-specific screening recommendations, but this translated into adherence to a lesser extent. HIV+ men were more likely to have a history of fragility fracture compared with females. No specific ART or immunologic marker predicted fracture risk or history. Fostering a greater understanding of unique characteristics and risks in this population is crucial to ensure appropriate preventive care. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


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