Border Health: State-Level Variation in Predialysis Nephrology Care

Border Health: State-Level Variation in Predialysis Nephrology Care.

For over four decades, Americans have enjoyed near universal access to treatment for ESRD irrespective of age, lack of qualifying disability, or their ability to pay. However, the health insurance benefits of the Medicare ESRD program do not extend to individuals in earlier stages of CKD, even to those for whom ESRD is imminent. Timely nephrology care before ESRD onset (predialysis nephrology c...

Lessons from geographic variations in predialysis nephrology care.

Predialysis nephrology care and dialysis-related health outcomes among older adults initiating dialysis

BACKGROUND Predialysis nephrology care is associated with lower mortality and rates of hospitalization following chronic dialysis initiation. Whether more frequent predialysis nephrology care is associated with other favorable outcomes for older adults is not known. METHODS Retrospective cohort study of patients ≥66 years who initiated chronic dialysis in 2000-2001 and were eligible for VA an...

Reflections on Health Tourism and Cross-Border Health Care

Outcomes of Predialysis Nephrology Care in Elderly Patients Beginning to Undergo Dialysis

BACKGROUND The proportion of elderly patients beginning to undergo dialysis is increasing globally. Whether early referral (ER) of elderly patients is associated with favorable outcomes remains under debate. We investigated the influence of referral timing on the mortality of elderly patients. METHODS We retrospectively assessed mortality in 820 patients aged ≥70 years with end-stage renal di...