|
NKDEP Gears Up for the 2006 Family Reunion Initiative
Following last year’s successful pilot program, NKDEP is planning for its 2006 Family
Reunion Initiative, which will officially launch in March, National Kidney Month. The initiative encourages African Americans to talk about the connection
between diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease at family reunions or other family gatherings.
If your organization is interested in promoting the initiative this spring and summer, please visit the Family Reunion website at www.nkdep.nih.gov/familyreunion.
You can download the Kidney Connection Toolkit and access other partner materials, including web buttons, newsletter articles, and announcements. If you’d
like to be even more involved, please contact Victoria McGhee at victoria.mcghee@ogilvypr.com.
In addition, we are excited to announce that last year’s pilot of the Family Reunion Initiative is a finalist for PRWeek’s Multicultural
Marketing Campaign of the Year. The PRWeek Awards recognize the best campaigns, companies, and individuals of the year and are highly influential
in the public relations industry. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in New York in March.
Laboratory Working Group Publishes Article in Clinical Chemistry
Congratulations to the NKDEP Laboratory Working Group, which published a state
of the science article on serum creatinine standardization. The article, published in the January 2006 issue of Clinical Chemistry, highlights
the current methods, limitations, and performance of serum creatinine measurements. Visit the Laboratory
Professionals section of the NKDEP website to view the article.
The Laboratory Working Group has been continuing work on the Creatinine Standardization Program, which is encouraging laboratories and manufacturers
of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) systems to standardize their measurement of serum creatinine and utilize the revised
MDRD equation [PDF, 25KB] to calculate estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR), a superior measure of kidney function. The Laboratory Working Group
also is encouraging laboratories to automatically report estimated GFR, which assists primary care providers in interpreting creatinine values.
The Laboratory Professionals section (www.nkdep.nih.gov/labprofessionals/) of the
NKDEP website will be updated regularly with recommendations and other resources for those involved with creatinine standardization efforts. NKDEP already
has added a second version of the GFR calculator (utilizing the new IDMS-traceable MDRD equation) and a frequently asked questions section to this webpage.
If you are interested in receiving periodic electronic updates about the Creatinine Standardization Program, contact us at csp@info.niddk.nih.gov or
sign up on the Laboratory Professionals page of the NKDEP website.
NKDEP Awarded Funding for Evaluation
NKDEP applied for and received funding from the NIH’s Evaluation Set-aside Program to assess clinical laboratory
practices related to reporting estimated GFR. NKDEP will be fielding a nationwide survey to determine how many laboratories currently report estimated
GFR. The results will help us evaluate the Laboratory Working Group’s efforts.
Materials Update: New Spanish-language Resources and Updated Lab Resources
Hispanics are disproportionately affected by diabetes and hypertension,
the two leading causes of kidney disease, and Hispanics are nearly twice as likely to develop kidney failure as non-Hispanic whites. To raise awareness
of kidney disease in the Hispanic community, NKDEP has launched a new Spanish-language initiative that includes a brochure and a website.
The website and brochure provide science-based information on the risk factors for kidney disease, the basic principles of kidney function, as well
as the importance of early testing. The materials also stress the availability of medications that can prevent or slow the progression of kidney disease.
Both resources offer additional Spanish-language resources on diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. Outreach for t he Spanish-language initiative
also will include national distribution of a print article and radio PSAs, which are currently in development.
The brochure can be ordered through the NKDEP website or by calling 1-866-4 KIDNEY.
Instructions are available in Spanish and English.
NKDEP also has updated the Rationale for Use and Reporting of Estimated GFR and Suggestions for Laboratories fact sheets. These items
are available to view or download from the Resources section of the NKDEP website.
|
