Episode 40: Online CKD Clinical Pathway
May 7th, 2015
Online Clinical Pathway for Adult Chronic Kidney Disease in Primary Care
In Alberta 95% of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease are looked after by primary care providers. National and international guidelines are available to assist clinicians to better understand the care of patients with CKD in terms of evaluation and management, but it is challenging to translate this knowledge into clinical practice. CKD is under-recognized in health care settings, leaving providers unprepared to deal with the preventable consequences of the disease and its complexities. Clinical pathways are an effective tool to increase the uptake of evidence-based guidelines. Dr. Wes Jackson explains who is at high risk for developing CKD and who should be tested for early identification – “targeted testing”.
He also provides a list of tests that should be ordered and how frequently the testing should be done. Wes gives a detailed description of the online CKD clinical pathway. He highlights how this tool assists physicians in three different areas: 1) diagnosis 2) lifestyle management and drug therapy and, 3) referral. As primary care physician he finds the Online CKD Clinical Pathway very useful for early identification of CKD, and referral. He also suggests to use the pathway as an interactive instrument with patients, and an educational tool for learners.
Early identification and management of CKD in primary care can reduce progression of kidney disease and reduce cardiovascular risk, which in this instance is the key to patient safety.
After listening to this podcast listeners will be able to:
Recognize the criteria for Chronic Kidney Disease targeted testing
Identify the tests that should be ordered
Know how to diagnose, manage and refer with the Online CKD Clinical Pathway
Dr. Wes Jackson, MD, FCFP, Assistant Professor
Dr. Jackson, an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Calgary, has been practicing as a full service family physician for the last 30 years. He has a keen interest in the application of technology in medicine, using electronic medical records since 1984. Over the years, he has been a member of several provincial committees associated with the evolution of information technology and Alberta Netcare. As the author of Dr. Gadget in the AMA Doctor’s Digest he writes about mobile technology and its’ potential to improve health care provider learning, teaching, and patient care in the future. As a primary care physician he has had an integral role in the development, design and implementation of the online clinical pathway for adult chronic kidney disease.
Read More:
Online CKD Clinical Pathway www.ckdpathway.ca
Interdisciplinary Chronic Disease Collaboration www.icdc.ca
