Renal supportive care of patients with advanced chronic kidney disease

• 
  Kathryn Ducharlet

  kathryn.ducharlet@svha.org.au
  

Project Details

Introduction: Renal supportive care improves the support and choices available for people with advanced kidney disease and their families, yet how it is provided or delivered is poorly understood.

Title: Renal supportive care of patients with advanced chronic kidney disease: experience, attitudes and approach of renal clinicians

PhD Project: Dr Kathryn Ducharlet, University of Melbourne

Supervisors: Prof Jennifer Philip and A/Prof Hilton Gock

Rationale: In Australia there is an increasing incidence of elderly patients with advanced chronic kidney disease  often with considerable co-morbidity, frailty and limited prognosis when commenced on renal replacement therapy compared with younger patients. This group of patients have a high burden of physical and psychosocial symptoms, poor outcomes and high costs of care in the current approaches.  Renal supportive care is increasingly important to improving patient outcomes, yet there is limited understanding how it is considered and delivered in Nephrology care.

Aim: To understand the experiences, attitudes and beliefs of renal supportive care and palliative care by renal clinicians (doctors and nurses) who care for patients with chronic kidney disease.

Potential impact: This collaborative research project will result in recommendations and identified opportunities to improve best practice service delivery of renal supportive care, and in turn, improve patient experiences.

Researchers

Key contact: Dr Kathryn Ducharlet;  Kathryn.ducharlet@svha.org.au

Funding

Victorian Renal Clinical Network (Safer Care Victoria)