Palliative care tools to support kidney-treatment choices for older adults with advanced CKD
Official title: Outcomes of a Palliative Care Intervention to Improve Kidney Therapy-Decision Making for Older People with Advanced CKD
Funded at University of Rochester · NIH-11335691 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A palliative-care program helps people aged 75 and older with advanced kidney disease make informed dialysis choices that fit their values and quality of life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | June 5, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $673,504 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG082891-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11335691 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults aged 75 and above with eGFR ≤30 ml/min/1.73 m2 who are considering kidney therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not evaluating dialysis options or who are not engaged in advance care planning may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project targets seniors 75+ with kidney failure who are facing dialysis decisions. It tests a palliative care approach that combines a decision aid video and paper materials with coaching from a palliative clinician to help patients understand options besides dialysis. The study will enroll about 326 participants with severely reduced kidney function and measure how well patients’ goals and preferences are incorporated into care discussions. The approach aims to improve conversations between patients and clinicians about prognosis, tradeoffs, and alternatives like conservative kidney management. It uses a type-1 hybrid design to assess real-world effectiveness and how best to implement the program in routine care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients may make more informed choices that align with their values and may experience better quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Past studies suggest decision aids and palliative care approaches can improve patient–clinician communication and decision quality in serious illness.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Saeed, Fahad — University of Rochester
- Study coordinator: Saeed, Fahad
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Improving kidney treatment decisions for older adults with advanced kidney disease
This study is all about helping older adults, especially those 75 and older, understand their kidney treatment choices, like dialysis or other options, by providing support and guidance to make sure their preferences and quality of life are taken into account.
-
Understanding how octopuses integrate sensory information and make decisions
This study is exploring how octopuses use their arms to grip things by looking closely at their nervous system and movements, which could help us understand their amazing abilities better.
-
NoviGuide for Newborn Care in Pakistan
A small NIH grant to test a pocket-sized decision support tool for nurses and doctors to improve newborn care in Pakistan.
-
Adapting a mobile health tool to boost HIV outcomes for older adults with HIV in Ukraine
A mobile health platform called PositiveLinks would be adapted for older adults with HIV in Ukraine to help them stay engaged in care and improve treatment success.
-
Understanding how aging and Alzheimer’s affect how people make tough choices
This NIH grant studies how aging and Alzheimer’s risk change how people decide between immediate and delayed rewards and risky options, with the goal of helping older adults stay financially and healthwise safer.
-
Adapting mHealth to help older people with HIV stay in care in Ukraine
A patient-friendly plan to adapt a smartphone-based support tool to help older adults living with HIV in Ukraine stay adherent to treatment and connected to care.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.