“Kidney disease is more common than people might think,” said Fiona Loud, Chair of the Kidney Alliance. The bean shaped organs responsible for a host of functions cause havoc when things go awry. Recently, The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has launched its new quality standard for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in adults. Aimed at patients and the public, health and social care professionals, commissioners and service providers, NICE quality standards are markers of excellence in patient care. They are developed in collaboration with the NHS and social care professionals, along with their partners and service users and are the only health and social care standards that apply nationally in England.
CKD is a common condition encompassing problems such as abnormal kidney function or structure, with around 1 in 10 adults in the UK having mild to severe CKD. Although less common in younger adults under 45 years, kidney problems increase with age, affecting half of people aged over 75 years. If CKD remains undetected, it can progress to established kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplantation, very poor health and in some cases early death.
For millions of people around the world end stage kidney failure means several time-consuming journeys to their dialysis centers each week to get the treatment they need. Having access to a self care treatment option could provide many with more frequent dialysis, lifestyle flexibility, and improved clinical outcomes.
Quanta Fluid Solutions, an England based medical device company, is developing the haemodialysis technology that can make self-care a real option for dialysis patients. SelfCare will remove many of the barriers that are currently in the way of patients choosing to take more control of their treatment. This haemodialysis system has been designed for patients to use and control, whether at home or in their local limited-care dialysis facility. The company completed a 9 million euro Series A equity financing in late 2009.
Quanta identified the National Health Service (NHS) as the most progressive market to launch self care dialysis and the UK will be the first to experience the benefits that SelfCare will deliver to patients and nurses alike. Based on the best available evidence, usually NICE guidance or other sources that have been accredited by NHS Evidence, NICE quality standards will form a cornerstone of the new NHS Outcomes Framework, which sets out the aims and objectives towards improving outcomes in the NHS, and what this means for patients and healthcare professionals.
The quality standard on CKD defines high quality patient care, and includes such statements as: people with CKD are assessed for disease progression; people with CKD are assessed for cardiovascular risk; people with established renal failure have access to psychosocial support (which may include support with personal, family, financial, employment and/or social needs) appropriate to their circumstances; and, people with CKD are supported to receive a pre-emptive kidney transplant before they need dialysis, if they are medically suitable.
Dr Fergus Macbeth, Director of the Centre for Clinical Practice at NICE said: “CKD is a potentially serious condition affecting a significant proportion of the population. If it is not managed properly, people with the condition may have up to 35 times higher risk of premature death. These standards will act as a tool for local healthcare professionals to help deliver the best available care for their patients. The NICE quality standard on CKD has been developed from a range of evidence sources such as published NICE guidance, and the UK Renal Association Clinical Practice Guidelines.”
The quality standard on CKD is currently available on the NICE website.