Effecting Palliative Care for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease by Increasing Provider Knowledge

Abstract

This evidence-based quality initiative project was designed to increase advance care planning and palliative care referrals, thus improving quality of life for patients with chronic kidney disease by increasing nephrology providers' knowledge of the Renal Physicians Association guidelines on "Shared Decision Making in the Appropriate Initiation of and Withdrawal from Dialysis." Thirteen nephrology providers and nurses received the educational intervention. Post-intervention outcomes included four renal palliative care referrals and 21 advance care plans over four months from a baseline of zero/unknown. The supportive benefits to nursing and society are vast, minimizing nursing, health system, and caregiver burden.

Keywords: advance care planning; chronic kidney disease; dialysis; dialysis cost; end of life; quality of life; renal palliative care; shared decision-making.