Sri Lekha Tummalapalli1,2, Michael G Shlipak3,4, Sandrine Damster5, Vivekanand Jha6,7,8, Charu Malik5, Adeera Levin9, David W Johnson10,11,12, Aminu K Bello13. 1. Kidney Health Research Collaborative, Department of Medicine, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, California, USA, lct4001@med.cornell.edu. 2. Division of Healthcare Delivery Science & Innovation, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA, lct4001@med.cornell.edu. 3. Kidney Health Research Collaborative, Department of Medicine, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and University of California, San Francisco, California, USA. 4. Division of General Internal Medicine, San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA. 5. International Society of Nephrology, Brussels, Belgium. 6. George Institute for Global Health, UNSW, New Delhi, India. 7. School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom. 8. Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India. 9. Division of Nephrology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 10. Centre for Kidney Disease Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 11. Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 12. Metro South Integrated Nephrology and Transplant Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 13. Division of Nephrology & Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Kidney disease is a major global public health problem, and laboratory testing of kidney health measures is essential for diagnosis and monitoring. The availability and affordability of kidney health laboratory tests across countries has not been systematically described. METHODS: The International Society of Nephrology (ISN), in partnership with leaders of a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference, surveyed a representative subset of ISN-Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA) respondents from April to June 2020. We assessed the association between country gross national income (GNI) per capita and laboratory testing availability and affordability. RESULTS: Of 33 regional expert nephrologists invited, 24 (73%) responded, representing all 10 ISN regions around the world. Availability of kidney health laboratory tests was as follows: serum Cr (100%), serum cystatin C (67%), urine albumin (96%), urine Cr (100%), and dipstick urinalysis (100%). Median (IQR) reimbursement values in international dollars were as follows: serum Cr Int$ 6.61 (3.42-8.84), serum cystatin C Int$ 31.51 (17.36-46.25), urine albumin Int$ 10.22 (5.90-15.42), urine Cr Int$ 7.50 (1.66-8.84), and dipstick urinalysis Int$ 6.26 (2.56-8.40). Reimbursement values did not differ significantly by World Bank income group or by GNI per capita. CONCLUSION: There was widespread availability of kidney health laboratory tests and substantial variation in reimbursement values. To achieve meaningful progress across nations in mitigating the growth of kidney disease, access to affordable diagnostic technology is essential. Our results are highly relevant to policymakers and researchers as countries increasingly consider national strategies for kidney disease detection and management.
BACKGROUND: Kidney disease is a major global public health problem, and laboratory testing of kidney health measures is essential for diagnosis and monitoring. The availability and affordability of kidney health laboratory tests across countries has not been systematically described. METHODS: The International Society of Nephrology (ISN), in partnership with leaders of a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference, surveyed a representative subset of ISN-Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA) respondents from April to June 2020. We assessed the association between country gross national income (GNI) per capita and laboratory testing availability and affordability. RESULTS: Of 33 regional expert nephrologists invited, 24 (73%) responded, representing all 10 ISN regions around the world. Availability of kidney health laboratory tests was as follows: serum Cr (100%), serum cystatin C (67%), urine albumin (96%), urine Cr (100%), and dipstick urinalysis (100%). Median (IQR) reimbursement values in international dollars were as follows: serum Cr Int$ 6.61 (3.42-8.84), serum cystatin C Int$ 31.51 (17.36-46.25), urine albumin Int$ 10.22 (5.90-15.42), urine Cr Int$ 7.50 (1.66-8.84), and dipstick urinalysis Int$ 6.26 (2.56-8.40). Reimbursement values did not differ significantly by World Bank income group or by GNI per capita. CONCLUSION: There was widespread availability of kidney health laboratory tests and substantial variation in reimbursement values. To achieve meaningful progress across nations in mitigating the growth of kidney disease, access to affordable diagnostic technology is essential. Our results are highly relevant to policymakers and researchers as countries increasingly consider national strategies for kidney disease detection and management.
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