A Multinational, Multicenter Study Mapping Models of Kidney Supportive Care Practice.

Introduction: Kidney supportive care (KSC) integrates kidney and palliative care to improve quality of life for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Despite increasing interest and global advocacy to integrate KSC into kidney care, evidence to guide optimal care delivery is limited.

Methods: This observational cross-sectional study used an online survey to describe current KSC models in Australia, Aotearoa-New Zealand, and the UK.

Advance Care Planning.

Advance care planning should be available to all patients with chronic kidney disease, including end-stage kidney disease on renal replacement therapy. Advance care planning is a process of patient-centred discussion, ideally involving family/significant others, to assist the patient to understand how their illness might affect them, identify their goals and establish how medical treatment might help them to achieve these. An Advance Care Plan is only one useful outcome from the Advance Care Planning process, the education of patient and family around prognosis and treatment options is likely to be beneficial whether or not a plan is written or the individual loses decision making capacity at the end of life.

Cultural considerations when providing care to New Zealand Māori opting for conservative care.

There is significant variation between cultural groups in the way the end of life is discussed and handled (1). This guide does not seek to be an exhaustive resource on Māori cultural practices as they apply to healthcare or the end of life. Dr Stallworthy is a New Zealander of European descent and a renal physician with an interest in renal supportive care and Advance Care Planning.

Do echocardiographic parameters predict mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease?

Background: Left ventricular function predicts cardiovascular mortality both in the general population and those with end-stage renal disease. Echocardiography is commonly undertaken as a screening test before kidney transplantation; however, there are little data on its predictive power.

Methods: This was a retrospective review of patients assessed for renal transplantation from 2000 to 2009.