Kidney Failure Congress aims to Fulfill the Promise of Innovation in Kidney Disease Treatment
The ESRD patients’ quality of life is more important than the quality of life of the objective observers, so treating ESRD patients must be a top priority. However, public entitlement to treatment does not mean physicians must treat every kidney failure patient. A physician’s clinical judgment and patient-family preferences should determine whether a patient’s condition requires life-extending treatment or terminal palliative care.
DCW received consultancy fees, speaker honoraria, and research support
The DCW received research and consultancy support from a variety of companies, including Otsuka, Biogen, Fresenius Medical Care, and Baxalta. He also received speaker honoraria from Janssen and Amgen. In addition, he received speaker honoraria from the British Heart Foundation and the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council. Several other companies provided funding to support the congress, including Daichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, and Relypsa.
The financial impact of chronic kidney disease is high. Nevertheless, patient support organizations provide reliable information about available treatments and offer financial assistance programs for patients. Some of these organizations also fund research and grant opportunities. Regardless of the funding source, the meeting’s main theme was collaboration. It is critical to achieve better diagnosis and treatment through collaborative interactions between clinicians, patients, and industry representatives.
Act would require U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to study crucial issues facing kidney patients
One of the most important issues for patients suffering from kidney failure is access to medically appropriate prescription drugs. Prescription drugs are necessary for kidney patients to manage their condition. However, ineffective access to these drugs has led to high hospitalization rates, particularly among patients with ESRD. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, patients with ESRD have a six-fold higher hospitalization rate than Medicare beneficiaries in general.
There are thousands of children waiting for a kidney. The rate of kidney failure in non-Hispanic black/African Americans is four times higher than that of non-Hispanic whites. Furthermore, Hispanic or Latino patients are at a higher risk of undergoing dialysis than are White patients.
Somatus’ holistic care model for ESRD patients
The Somatus’ model includes integrating social and medical care and reducing the burden of patient navigation. Its technology platform triangulates risk, clinical, and financial data to identify clinical needs early in the patient journey and reduce overall cost. The company hopes to serve over 150,000 patients by the end of 2019.
Somatus employs nurses with expertise in kidney care and helps patients get the treatment they need. The nurses collaborate with nephrologists to provide individualized care and educate patients on their condition. They also support patients who are at risk of disengaging from their care due to social circumstances. This model reduces hospital stays and increases quality of life for patients with kidney disease.
