Patient and Clinician Perspectives: To Create a Better Future for Chronic Kidney Disease, We Need to Talk About Our Kidneys

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than one in ten people worldwide. However, results from the REVEAL-CKD study suggest that it is often not diagnosed. Many patients are therefore unaware that they have CKD, putting them at increased risk of disease progression and complications. Empowering patients with knowledge about CKD will allow them to become active participants in their own care, driving improvements in diagnosis rates and changing patient outcomes for the better. In this article, we provide patient and clinician perspectives on the importance of early CKD diagnosis and management. We present an overview of the tests commonly used to diagnose CKD in clinical practice, as well as actionable suggestions for patients, clinicians, and health policymakers that could help improve disease detection and treatment. Video Abstract 5rJyPLjpBJj3_1LDfE3xyi Navdeep Tangri, a nephrologist and epidemiologist at the University of Manitoba, and Jane DeMeis, a patient living with chronic kidney disease, discuss how results from the REVEAL-CKD study highlight the need for change to improve management of chronic kidney disease. Video Abstract (MP4 141866 KB)