What patients don't know may hurt them: knowledge and the perception of knowledge among patients with CKD.

It is generally accepted that informed patients have better health outcomes. Wright Nunes et al. report low levels of perceived chronic kidney disease (CKD) knowledge among patients treated in a nephrology clinic and describe a low-to-moderate association between perceived and objective CKD knowledge. Association of these two types of knowledge with health behaviors and clinical outcomes should be further explored to inform the development and evaluation of CKD educational interventions as well as communication between nephrologists and patients.