Australian Community Pharmacists’ Experience of Implementing a Chronic Kidney Disease Risk Assessment Service

PEER REVIEWED

The assessment protocol first selected people aged 50 to 74 years. People were eligible for risk assessment if they had one or more of the following: high blood pressure requiring treatment; diabetes; heart failure; a personal history of heart attack, angina, stroke, or transient ischemic attack; obesity; currently smoking; or a family history of kidney disease. For all eligible participants, researchers collected and recorded participant’s demographics, clinical information, medication history, and general practitioner details in the assessment data form; measured and recorded participant’s height, weight, and blood pressure reading in the results sheet; and calculated participant’s percentage risk of developing moderate to severe chronic kidney disease over the next 5 years using the QKidney risk calculator. Participants were then separated into those with less than a 3% chance of developing chronic kidney disease and those with a 3% or greater chance of developing chronic kidney disease. No referral was required of those with less than a 3% chance, while those with a 3% or greater chance of developing chronic kidney disease were referred to a general practitioner. The referred participants were then subdivided into 2 groups: participants with a 3% to 15% chance of developing chronic kidney disease were told to discuss those results at their next visit to a general practitioner. Participants with a 15% or greater chance of developing chronic kidney disease were instructed to discuss the results with a general practitioner within the next 2 weeks. All participants who were referred to a general practitioner were followed up at 9 to 10 months after the assessment; pathology data were collected from them; and they were asked to complete a participant satisfaction survey.

Figure.
Flow diagram for chronic kidney disease risk assessment protocol.

Abbreviations: BP, blood pressure; CKD, chronic kidney disease; GP, general practitioner; TIA, transient ischemic attack.

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