Informed Dialysis Modality Selection Among Veterans With Advanced CKD: A Community-Level Needs Assessment

Rationale & Objective: The Advancing Americans Kidney Health Executive order has directed substantial increases in home dialysis use for incident kidney replacement therapy (KRT). Clinical guidelines recommend patients’ self-selection of KRT modality through a shared decision-making process, which, at the minimum, requires predialysis nephrology care and KRT-directed comprehensive prekidney failure patient education (CoPE). The current state of these essential services among Americans with advanced (stages 4 and 5) chronic kidney disease (CKD) and their informed preferences for home dialysis are unknown. Study Design: We conducted a community-based, cross-sectional, observational cohort study across a large regional Veteran Healthcare System from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021. Setting & Participants: Of the 928 Veterans with advanced CKD, 287 (30.9%) were invited for needs assessment evaluations. Of the 218 (76% of invited cohort) responding, 178 (81.6%) were receiving nephrology care, with approximately half of those (43.6%) receiving such care from non-Veterans Affairs providers. Outcomes: The study was targeted to assess the prevalent state of ongoing nephrology care and KRT-directed pre-kidney failure education among Veterans with advanced CKD. The secondary outcome included evaluation of dialysis decision-making state among Veterans with advanced CKD. Analytical Approach: Veterans with advanced CKD with 2 sustained estimated glomerular filtration rates