Highlights• Multi-disciplinary care—or coordination of care among different clinicians and specialists—improves the health of patients with kidney disease and reduces costs compared with usual care.• Results from the study will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

Newswise — Chicago, IL (November 19, 2016) — Coordination of care designed to slow the progression of kidney disease is likely to be cost effective because it prevents the need for dialysis, according to a study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2016 November 15¬–20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

Kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), accounts for 5.6% of total Medicare expenditures, though ESRD patients on dialysis make up only 1.6% of its beneficiaries. Multi-disciplinary care—or coordination of care among different clinicians and specialists—has been proposed as a way to benefit patients while reducing costs as they progress from chronic kidney disease (CKD) to ESRD.

To evaluate this approach, Eugene Lin, MD (Stanford University) and his colleagues developed a model related to the progression from CKD to ESRD that takes into account different patient characteristics.

The team found that multi-disciplinary care in patients with CKD is a relatively inexpensive intervention, costing only $24,613 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). (One QALY equates to 1 year in perfect health.) In contrast, a recent analysis found that dialysis costs $129,090 per QALY. “Even if the multi-disciplinary care program were deployed inefficiently, it would be significantly cheaper than other interventions, largely because it alleviates the much larger cost of dialysis,” said Dr. Lin. Medicare coverage of multi-disciplinary care would be a relatively low-cost way to improve the health of patients with kidney disease.

“Our research suggests that strategies aimed at slowing the progression of kidney disease are likely to be cost effective because they prevent the need for dialysis, a very expensive therapy.”

Study: “Multi-Disciplinary Care is Cost-Effective in Chronic Kidney Disease” (Abstract 1362)

ASN Kidney Week 2016, the largest nephrology meeting of its kind, will provide a forum for more than 13,000 professionals to discuss the latest findings in kidney health research and engage in educational sessions related to advances in the care of patients with kidney and related disorders. Kidney Week 2016 will take place November 15–20, 2016 in Chicago, IL.The content of this article does not reflect the views or opinions of The American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s). ASN does not offer medical advice. All content in ASN publications is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This content should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider if you have any questions about a medical condition, or before taking any drug, changing your diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. Do not ignore or delay obtaining professional medical advice because of information accessed through ASN. Call 911 or your doctor for all medical emergencies.Since 1966, ASN has been leading the fight to prevent, treat, and cure kidney diseases throughout the world by educating health professionals and scientists, advancing research and innovation, communicating new knowledge, and advocating for the highest quality care for patients. ASN has nearly 16,000 members representing 112 countries. For more information, please visit www.asn-online.org or contact us at (202) 640-4660.# # #