Interventions to Improve Clinical Outcomes in Indigenous or Remote Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Scoping Review.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) associates with a significant health care burden with a disproportionate impact on indigenous persons or people living in remote areas. Although screening programs have expanded in these communities, there remains a paucity of evidence-based interventions to enhance clinical renal outcomes in these populations.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify evidence-based interventions to enhance renal outcomes in these populations.

Design: A scoping review was conducted for studies in the Cochrane, MEDLINE, and Embase databases and from major nephrology meetings.

Setting: Chronic kidney disease, including those on dialysis.

Patients: Remote or indigenous populations.

Measurements: Studies that performed an intervention that was followed by measurement of renal outcomes or patient-centered outcomes (ie, quality of life) were included.

Methods: All studies were described by study type, intervention, and clinical outcome, and trends were identified by both authors. Meta-analysis was not conducted due to study heterogeneity.

Results: Thirty-two studies met inclusion criteria, only 2 (6.3%) of which were randomized controlled trials. Intervention types included multidisciplinary (34.4%), satellite (32.3%), telehealth (25.0%), or other (9.4%). All multidisciplinary interventions were performed in the CKD (non-dialysis) setting and reported improved patient travel time, waiting time, quality of life, kidney function, proteinuria, and blood pressure. Telehealth interventions improved program cost, patient attendance, hospitalization, and quality of life. Satellite interventions were performed in the hemodialysis setting, with 1 study evaluating acute hemodialysis. Satellite interventions improved patient travel time, dialysis clearance, quality of life, and survival, but increased program costs.

Limitations: The study was restricted to interventional trials assessing clinical outcomes and to studies in developed countries, which likely excluded some research contributing to this field.

Conclusions: There is significant heterogeneity among studies of interventions for patients with CKD who are indigenous or live remotely. Interventions were more likely to be successful when the remote or indigenous community was included in program development, with a culturally safe approach. More large, high-quality studies are needed to identify effective interventions to enhance clinical renal outcomes in indigenous or remote populations.

Trial Registration: This trial is registered under PROSPERO, Registration Number 128453.