Chronic Kidney Disease HIT review of 2014-15

Dr Udaya Udayaraj, Director of the Chronic Kidney Disease Health Integration Team (HIT), gives an update on their work in 2014-15.

The Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
HIT aims to improve outcomes for patients with kidney disease in the Bristol
area through prevention, improved patient care, education and research. The
Health Survey for England found that 6-7 per cent of the population has kidney
function of less than 60 per cent, rising to over 30 per cent in over 75s.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is seen
in 15 per cent of all admissions to hospital and 20-30 per cent of these are
avoidable. Almost £1 billion is spent on managing patients with AKI each year. We
have set up an AKI working group in North Bristol Trust, in collaboration with
other trusts in the region, to improve AKI management through early detection,
development of care guidelines and bundles, training and raising awareness of AKI
among health care professionals and the public.

We are setting up a telephone
clinic service for CKD and kidney transplant patients. We will work with NIHR
CLAHRC West on a feasibility study for the service and evaluate it in terms of
financial savings, patient satisfaction, and reducing carbon footprint.

Our patient representatives are
exploring the feasibility of a patient and public run hospital transport system
using volunteers.