Addressing the nephrology workforce shortage via a novel undergraduate pipeline program: the Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program (KDSAP) at 10 years

Basic Requirements for Improving Home Dialysis Utilization: Universal Access to Specialty Nephrology Care and Comprehensive Pre-ESKD Education

“…Finally, universalizing pre-ESKD specialty care will require professional sociceties to engage with a broad swath of stakeholders to address multiple reimbursements and specialty-specific structural causes driving the ongoing nephrology workforce shortage (Table 1). 19 Protocol-based care models that leverage the expertise of nephrology-led advanced practice providers can maintain a high quality of care at a substantially lower healthcare system burden. 20…”

“…Foundations for such longitudinal engagement are unlikely to be stable when implemented through unilateral changes in the nephrology practice. 19 Engaging stakeholders, such as primary care providers, renal social workers, dieticians, pharmacists, and surgical and interventional radiology support teams, can create a durable healthcare infrastructure capable of supporting all eligible and willing patients with and on home dialysis. 25…”

Leveraging Resources Effectively at the Community Level: Lessons Learned from the Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program

“…The total operational cost for this equipment is approximately $800, with an additional yearly recurring cost of $1500 for consumable items such as glucose strips, lancets, and urine test strips. 6 This cost is calculated based on the assumption that one KDSAP chapter screens 200 participants in a year. KDSAP chapters are responsible for raising funds for their community and on-campus activities, and work with their faculty advisors to draft grant proposals for university and external funding.…”

“…The training provided by KDSAP has tangible long-term impacts on volunteers; in a survey sent to 112 alumni, 96.5% of respondents indicated that KDSAP increased their knowledge about nephrology, and 77.7% credited KDSAP with increasing their interest in caring for patients with kidney diseases. 6 By taking advantage of the accessibility of CKD screening tools and providing rigorous kidney education to its members, KDSAP has built a robust base of volunteers who are encouraged to consider careers in nephrology, which in turn presents an effective approach to reduce the US renal physician shortage.…”

“…Here, we reflect on the kidney disease screening and awareness program (KDSAP), a decade-old undergraduate educational model, 6 to provide insights on aspects of the program that have enabled it to provide effective free health screening and educational events to local communities at scale.…”