Easier access to kidney care for people at high risk of kidney failure

mproving Access to Nephrology Treatment and Care among Patients at Greatest Risk for Kidney Failure

NIH-funded research Emory University · NIH-11371329

This program will use care teams, clinic changes, and patient support to help adults with advanced chronic kidney disease get timely specialist care, permanent dialysis access, and education before they need dialysis or a transplant.

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionEmory University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Atlanta, United States)
Project IDNIH-11371329 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you have advanced chronic kidney disease, this project will work with clinics and health systems to speed up diagnosis, referrals to kidney specialists, and planning for kidney replacement therapy. The team will implement a multi-level set of actions—like electronic health record prompts, care coordination, patient education, and clinic workflow changes—based on the Collaborative Chronic Care Model. Success will be measured by outcomes such as having permanent vascular access ready, starting treatment as an outpatient rather than in the hospital, and getting preemptive transplants when possible. The work is led by Emory University and will be carried out through participating clinics and partners.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults (21+) with advanced chronic kidney disease who are nearing the need for dialysis or a transplant and who receive care at participating clinics are the ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Children, people with early-stage CKD who are not near needing kidney replacement therapy, and patients already well linked to nephrology care may not see direct benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, patients could have fewer emergency dialysis starts, better preparation for kidney replacement therapy, and improved health outcomes.

How similar studies have performed: Care models like the Collaborative Chronic Care Model have improved outcomes in other chronic diseases and smaller CKD efforts have shown promise, but wide-scale implementation for the ESKD transition remains limited.

Where this research is happening

Atlanta, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Chronic DiseaseChronic Renal Disease
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.