Living Well with Kidney Disease by Patient and Care-Partner Empowerment: Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere

Running title: Living Well with Kidney Disease

Authors

  • Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh The International Federation of Kidney Foundation – World Kidney Alliance (IFKF-WKA), Division of Nephrology and Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, University of California Irvine, Orange, California, USA
  • Philip Li Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Carol & Richard Yu PD Research Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
  • Ekamol Tantisattamo Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, California, USA
  • Latha Kumaraswami Tanker Foundation, Chennai, India
  • Vassilios Liakopoulos Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, 1st Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • Siu-Fai Lui Hong Kong Kidney Foundation and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations – World Kidney Alliance, The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
  • Ifeoma Ulasi Renal Unit, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria
  • Sharon Andreoli James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
  • Alessandro Balducci Italian Kidney Foundation, Rome, Italy
  • Sophie Dupuis World Kidney Day Office, Brussels, Belgium
  • Tess Harris Polycystic Kidney Disease Charity, London, UK
  • Anne Hradsky World Kidney Day Office, Brussels, Belgium
  • Richard Knight American Association of Kidney Patients, Tampa, Florida, USA
  • Sajay Kumar Tanker Foundation, Chennai, India
  • Maggie Ng Hong Kong Kidney Foundation, Hong Kong, China
  • Alice Poidevin World Kidney Day Office, Brussels, Belgium
  • Gamal Saadi Nephrology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
  • Allison Tong Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Keywords:

Patient empowerment, care-partner, low-middle-income countries, health policy

Abstract

Living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with hardships for patients and their care-partners. Empowering patients and their care-partners, including family members or friends involved in their care, may help minimize the burden and consequences of CKD related symptoms to enable life participation. There is a need to broaden the focus on living well with kidney disease and re-engagement in life, including an emphasis on patients being in control. The World Kidney Day (WKD) Joint Steering Committee has declared 2021 the year of “Living Well with Kidney Disease” in an effort to increase education and awareness on the important goal of patient empowerment and life participation. This calls for the development and implementation of validated patient-reported outcome measures to assess and address areas of life participation in routine care. It could be supported by regulatory agencies as a metric for quality care or to support labelling claims for medicines and devices. Funding agencies could establish targeted calls for research that address the priorities of patients. Patients with kidney disease and their care-partners should feel supported to live well through concerted efforts by kidney care communities including during pandemics. In the overall wellness program for kidney disease patients, the need for prevention should be reiterated. Early detection with a prolonged course of wellness despite kidney disease, after effective secondary and tertiary prevention programs, should be promoted. WKD 2021 continues to call for increased awareness of the importance of preventive measures throughout populations, professionals, and policy makers, applicable to both developed and developing countries.

Author Biographies

Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, The International Federation of Kidney Foundation – World Kidney Alliance (IFKF-WKA), Division of Nephrology and Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, University of California Irvine, Orange, California, USA

The International Federation of Kidney Foundation – World Kidney Alliance (IFKF-WKA), Division of Nephrology and Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, University of California Irvine, Orange, California, USA

Professor of Medicine

Philip Li, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Carol & Richard Yu PD Research Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Carol & Richard Yu PD Research Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

Professor

Ekamol Tantisattamo, Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, California, USA

Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Kidney Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, California, USA

Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine

Vassilios Liakopoulos, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, 1st Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, 1st Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

Associate Professor of Nephrology

Siu-Fai Lui, Hong Kong Kidney Foundation and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations – World Kidney Alliance, The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong Kidney Foundation and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations – World Kidney Alliance, The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

Professor

Ifeoma Ulasi, Renal Unit, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria

Renal Unit, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria

 

Professor

Sharon Andreoli, James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

 

Byron P. and Frances D. Hollett Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics

Alessandro Balducci, Italian Kidney Foundation, Rome, Italy

Italian Kidney Foundation, Rome, Italy

Professor

Gamal Saadi, Nephrology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

Nephrology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

 

Professor of Internal Medicine and Nephrology

Allison Tong, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

 

Professor

Published

2021-03-30