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Federal Agencies Meet to Discuss Kidney Disease
The Kidney Interagency Coordinating Committee (KICC) held its annual meeting in Bethesda, MD, on June 14. The meeting brought together representatives from more than a dozen Federal agencies to share information on their programs and activities related to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Presentations by representatives from NIDDK, AHRQ, CDC, CMS, FDA, HRSA, IHS, and the VA served to spark discussion on how agencies can work together more effectively.
As a follow-up to the meeting, NKDEP is developing an online resource that will summarize CKD-related activities and contacts within each Federal agency/institute to facilitate cross-agency collaboration and communication.
The minutes from this meeting will soon be available on NKDEP’s website: www.nkdep.nih.gov.
NKDEP and IFCC Convene Urine Albumin Experts
Urinary albumin is a key measure for detecting CKD. Yet many health professionals are not aware that various issues make it difficult for health professionals to obtain reproducible urine albumin results—a situation with public health, clinical care, and research implications. Urine albumin experts met in Washington, DC, on March 27 and 28 to discuss this issue and others related to measurement and reporting of urine albumin. They also explored strategies to eventually help redefine who is screened for CKD and how patients are treated. Convened by NKDEP and the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) and Laboratory Medicine, the meeting included almost 20 representatives from Federal agencies, research hospitals and institutions, and others in the clinical chemistry community.
If you would like to learn more about the meeting, please send an email to csp@info.niddk.nih.gov.
Roundtable Discussion Held on Nutrition Intervention with CKD Patients
As part of a new effort to highlight ways in which NKDEP might help promote CKD-related nutrition care in the primary care setting, NKDEP convened a select group of renal dietitians in May for a roundtable discussion. The aim was to identify opportunities and formulate ideas on how NKDEP could impact and enhance nutritional care of CKD patients, with the ultimate goal of preventing or delaying kidney failure. An article summarizing the discussion moderated by Dr. Andrew Narva, director of NKDEP, is scheduled to be published in the American Dietetic Association’s Renal Nutrition Forum fall issue, which is dedicated to CKD.
NKDEP thanks Coordinating Panel member Karen Basinger for all of the time and energy she devoted to organizing the roundtable and helping shape the discussion. We would also like to thank Coordinating Panel member Lois Hill for her participation in the discussion.
New Brochure for African Americans on Risks for Kidney Disease
NKDEP recently completed the development of a new brochure for African Americans called Kidney Disease: What African Americans Need to Know. The new brochure outlines the increased risk for kidney disease among those with diabetes and high blood pressure, and specifically addresses the high prevalence of these risk factors among African Americans. The material also encourages people at risk to talk to their health care provider and get tested for kidney disease.
Kidney Disease: What African Americans Need to Know was created with the help of numerous experts working in the African American community, including representatives from the Association of Minority Nephrologists and NKDEP Coordinating Panel members. The brochure currently is in production and will be available for distribution by the end of July.
If you or your organization are interested in helping promote or disseminate this new resource, please email Christen Horn (christen.horn@ogilvypr.com). When the brochure is ready, it will be available for order through the NKDEP website (www.nkdep.nih.gov) or by calling 1-866-4 KIDNEY (1-866-454-3639).
NKDEP Director to Present at AADE Meeting in August
Dr. Andrew Narva, director of NKDEP, will be a presenter at the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) annual conference in St. Louis. Dr. Narva’s presentation, “What CDEs Need to Know about CKD”, will be on August 1 (Session W07). The session will focus on the CDE’s role in assessing kidney function, educating patients about the progressive nature of chronic kidney disease, and preparing for end-stage kidney disease.
In addition to Dr. Narva’s presentation, NKDEP will be exhibiting at the AADE conference. NKDEP encourages meeting attendees to visit the booth (# 331) to learn more about chronic kidney disease and to receive complimentary copies of NKDEP materials.
Two NKDEP Materials Win NIH Plain Language Award
We are pleased to report that NKDEP’s Family Reunion Health Guide and Spanish-language brochure Aprenda a proteger sus riñones each won an “Excellent” Plain Language Award from the National Institutes of Health. The awards recognize clear, concise, and audience-appropriate documents. To view these materials or to order copies, visit the Resources page of the NKDEP website: www.nkdep.nih.gov/resources.
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