Early education of patients with chronic renal insufficiency: the Healthy Start program. Case study of the anemic patient.

The Healthy Start Clinic is a multidisciplinary program that provides education and appropriate clinical interventions for patients with chronic renal insufficiency. The overall goals of the program are to delay the progression of kidney disease and improve the quality of care at the initiation of renal replacement therapy. This report shows that, compared to those who do not participate in the program, Healthy Start patients have significantly higher albumin levels and are more likely to have fistulas in place at the initiation of dialysis. The Healthy Start model suggests a new and expanded role for nurses in helping to coordinate care for this growing patient population.