Grant: Project Grant

Severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), a significant decline of kidney function, affects many Canadians and cause poor overall health. Doctors prepare these patients for what will happen when their kidneys eventually fail. Most people who have CKD are elderly and are more likely to die before or shortly after their kidneys fail. It is important for patients and their families to know this so they can make choices that are right for them, rather than worrying about complex treatments that they may never need or will need for a very short time. We have two concerns. First, for patients with CKD, we do not have accurate data to inform them of their risk of kidney failure and possible death. Second, we do not know what information patients need or want to make decisions about their care once they know their prognosis. We will use information from health records of Albertans with severe CKD to study the risks of kidney failure and death. We will determine if using data from Ontario health records will result in the same conclusions. We will then present these findings to patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers using vignettes. We will ask them what factors they believe are important to patients to make decisions about their care.