CKD Connect launches with webinar to support healthcare professionals in earlier recognition and management
Healthcare professionals are being offered new educational support to help recognise chronic kidney disease (CKD) earlier and strengthen its ongoing management as part of a new National Kidney Federation (NKF) campaign.
The charity has launched CKD Connect, an initiative designed to improve knowledge and confidence around CKD among both healthcare professionals and people living with the condition.
Central to the first phase will be a dedicated webinar for healthcare professionals, with a particular focus on supporting primary care teams to recognise CKD earlier and improve its ongoing management.
The initiative has particular relevance for healthcare professionals working in diabetes, where protecting kidney health, identifying CKD and supporting people at risk of disease progression are important aspects of long-term patient care.
CKD affects around one in 10 people, according to the NKF, but can progress without symptoms and is frequently under-recognised.
Through CKD Connect, the organisation wants to encourage more informed conversations at the point of diagnosis and improve healthcare professionals’ confidence in managing the condition, while helping patients understand what a CKD diagnosis means for them.
The professional webinar will form part of a wider programme of education being delivered during the first phase of CKD Connect. Sessions will provide practical information about understanding and managing CKD and signpost the support available to people affected by the condition.
Alongside its focus on healthcare professionals, a major strand of CKD Connect is helping people with CKD better understand their condition and giving them the information and tools they need to play an active role in its management.
The NKF says too many people discover they have CKD through a test result, letter or the NHS App with little explanation about what their diagnosis means or where they can turn for support.
CKD Connect has been developed to help bridge that gap between diagnosis and support by providing clear and trusted information, practical self-management guidance, peer support and access to expert advice.
A series of educational webinars will be available for people who have recently been diagnosed with CKD, as well as those wanting to learn more about good kidney health.
The campaign will also seek to reach people before diagnosis and carers of those living with CKD, with the aim of improving wider understanding of kidney health and how people can take better care of their kidneys.
Looking further ahead, the NKF plans to use CKD Connect to better understand the challenges people experience when living with CKD and accessing care. The organisation hopes these insights can help shape future improvements in support and services.
The initiative has received funding from the NKF's industry partners
Healthcare professionals can find out more about CKD Connect and register for the upcoming webinars on the National Kidney Federation's dedicated CKD Connect campaign page. www.kidney.org.uk/ckd-connect