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June 2010Issue No. 10
Rhode Island Kidney Care Connection

Furthering Kidney Health for Patients
with Diabetes
CKD Common in People with Undiagnosed Diabetes 

Renal & Urology News: April 27, 2010

Up to 18% of patients with pre-diabetes have chronic kidney disease, according to an analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Funded by the Center for Disease Control Prevention, the study focused on patients with pre-diabetes and undiagnosed diabetes, using a nationally representative sample of 8,200 NHANES participants. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is present in about 40% of patients with diabetes and about 11% of patients without diabetes or pre-diabetes. Based on these results, researchers believe broader screening may be needed to detect both diabetes and kidney disease earlier. To view the full article, click here.
Reporting System Linked to Rise in Nephrology Visits
Medpage Today: March 23,2010  


Following implementation of an automated lab reporting of estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR), first time visits to nephrologists among patients with chronic kidney disease increased by 17.5 visits per 10,000 patients, according to Canadian researchers. This equates to a relative increase of 68.4%. The largest increase was noted among patients with more severe kidney dysfunction. To view the full article, click here .

Free Multilingual Vascular Access Information for Your Patients


Patient booklets on hemodialysis vascular access are now available for free download at Life Options. The booklet, What You Need to Know to Keep Your Fistula Healthy, are in color, easy to read and are offered in English, Spanish, Bengali, Haitian Creole, Korean and Simplified Chinese. There is a step-by-step explanation of how to use your fistula for dialysis, as well as descriptions of common AVF problems and what patients can do to keep their fistulas healthy. Life Options also offers booklets for patients on how to keep their grafts and catheters healthy. A printable wall poster with the message "Choose a fistula for better access, better dialysis, and a better life" in all six languages is also available. To access Life Options free materials, click here.
This material was prepared by Quality Partners of Rhode Island, the Quality Improvement Organization for Rhode Island, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
 
In This Issue
CKD Common in People with Undiagnosed Diabetes
Reporting System Linked to Rise in Nephrology Visits
Free Multilingual Vascular Access Information
Featured Links
Resources
Events & Continuing Education
Feedback Requested
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Featured Links 
Resources
Events &
Continuing Education
Opportunities
 
 
PQRI Provider Call
CMS will host a national provider conference call on PQRI and e-Prescribing.  This call will take place on June 22, 2010 from 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., EDT. Click here to register.
 
National Kidney Foundation CME:
 Nutrition and CKD:  First Line of Defense
To access this on-line activity, click here.