Project 840 | Risk stratification for early CKD

Developing an early CKD risk stratification prototype using primary care data

Kidneys help the body remove waste products, taking away extra water and waste in our urine. As we get older, our kidney function gradually reduces, this can be a normal part of ageing. Some people develop chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is a long-term condition where the kidneys do not work as well. Early CKD has no or few symptoms. More than 1.8 million people in England are known to have CKD and there may be 1 million more who are not diagnosed, because it has few symptoms. CKD can make life harder for the people who live with it. Living with CKD can make people more likely to have heart attacks and strokes. Only a small number of people (1 in 100) need a machine called dialysis to clean their blood.

In our earlier research we carried out interviews and workshops with GP surgery staff to understand how they try to spot people who might develop worse kidney problems in future. Even though they understood the importance of CKD, many felt nervous about telling patients about their risk.

We also held workshops with patients and members of the public. They told us this early knowledge could allow them the chance to make diet and lifestyle changes to help protect their heart and kidney health. At the moment, it is hard to know who is most at risk from early changes in kidney health. It is also hard to reassure those who are actually at low risk There are also no good explanations (‘codes’) to describe what the risk of earlier stages means for a person who lives with it.

In this study, we will use information from UK GP health records to look for signs to show who has at higher risk of CKD. We will work with patients and members of the public to create better, clearer words to explain these risks. The words will be tested in another bigger study, alongside training for GPs as to how to communicate the risks more effectively.