Renal News - Winter 2019

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Winter 2019

Patients rate experience of kidney care

Over the past ten years, BC Renal has conducted three province-wide patient experience surveys. Provincial results from the last survey were previously highlighted in Renal News, including a full report and an infographic that captures key findings.

Survey results for all modalities of care and by health authority are now also available. The modality reports are posted on the BC Renal website, and the HA reports have been shared with program leadership.

To better understand the survey results, a number of focus group sessions with patients will be held in the coming months. Insights from these sessions will be used to focus efforts on improvement across all areas of care.

New BC Renal strategic plan

BC Renal has a new, five-year strategic plan featuring an updated vision, mission and values for the network and an emphasis on sustainability and technology.

First Nations’ kidney health

BC Renal is working with the Can-SOLVE CKD Network to develop and implement a new program that will bring kidney, diabetes, and blood pressure checks to First Nations communities.

Supporting patient engagement

Increasing patient engagement and representation in health care improvement activities and planning is a key priority for BC Renal and the provincial renal network, as we work to enhance patient-centred care. To support this goal, a working group launched in January, with 15 members from across the province, including patients, health professionals, and BC Renal staff members. The working group’s first objective is to develop a framework for patient engagement for use across provincial renal committees and key activities.

For more information about this initiative, contact Helen Chiu at hchiu@bcpra.ca or at 604 802-8400.

Better symptom assessment and management

To support improved symptom assessment for patients, a revised version of the My Symptom Checklist is now available on the BC Renal website. The screening tool is a modified version of the ESAS tool developed for use with patients with kidney disease by Dr. Sara Davison.

Kidney Care Committee Update

In January the provincial Kidney Care Committee and BC Transplant sponsored a province-wide information session for patients and KCC staff wanting to learn more about the process involved in getting a kidney transplant and finding living donors. In this section:

Transplant First
Focus on PKD

PD Committee Update

The provincial PD Committee is trialing a PD patient transition guide in Fraser Health. Patients who transition from a kidney care program to a PD program face challenges in navigating this part of their renal journey. In this section:

Guiding transition to PD
New resources

Home dialysis survey

BC Renal is conducting a province-wide survey of renal care staff across all areas of care to evaluate perceptions of home dialysis therapies (HDT) and whether there is a need for increased HDT education. The survey results could guide efforts to increase the number of patients choosing home dialysis as their preferred modality.

Superbug screening

The provincial Hemodialysis Committee has eliminated the MRSA/VRE screening guideline for HD outpatients.

Caregiver’s burden

Vancouver Coastal/Providence Health Care home hemodialysis (HHD) units are conducting a trial survey of HHD patient caregivers to assess their burden of care and what kind of support they might need.

Modality Choices

An updated version of the Modality Choices presentation is now available on the BC Renal website. This audio-visual presentation is designed to inform patients about their treatment options for when their kidneys fail. Translated versions of the revised presentation in Simplified and Traditional Chinese and in Punjabi will be available on the website in March.

BCKD 2018 poster winners

A total of 19 research and quality initiative posters were presented at BC Kidney Days 2018. A complete list of posters presented at the event can be found at BCKD 2018 Posters.

Pharmacy & Formulary Committee Update

The committee has approved two changes to the BC Renal formularies.

It’s BCR - no ‘A’

In case you missed it, BC Renal is no longer using “agency” in our name and we have a new logo.

Palliative Care Committee Update

Serious illness conversation guide
The provincial Palliative Care Committee has adopted the Serious Illness Conversation Guide to help clinicians engage in conversations with patients experiencing kidney failure.

GN Committee Update

The Glomerulonephritis (GN) Committee has a new clinical tool available on the BC Renal website to support therapy with corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, or cyclophosphamide.

Events

BC Kidney Days

If you weren’t able to attend BC Kidney Days this past November, the BCKD website has an archive of presentations made at the event.

There is also an archive of all award-winning posters presented at BCKD since 2008, available at BCKD poster winners.

Save the Date for BC Kidney Days 2019
October 3-4, 2019
JW Marriott Hotel

CKD e-Learning Webinar for GPs

Over the course of 2019, the BC Renal agency will host a series of one-hour CKD Education: Online CME for Primary Care.

March 20th
Morgan Lam
Electrolyte Disturbances

Kidney Smart

In its eighth year, BC Renal’s Kidney Smart campaign will run throughout March to raise awareness of kidney disease and to promote our online kidney health assessment, available in English, Chinese and Punjabi.

Kidney Foundation

The seventh annual Kidney Gala will be held Friday March 8 at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver. In this section:

Kidney Gala
Kidney Health Month
Warm the Sole campaign

Record-setting year for kidney transplants

BC Transplant (BCT) reports that 122 deceased donors provided organs for transplant in BC in 2018. This is the highest number of deceased donors ever for the province, and represents an increase of 71 per cent from five years ago. In this section:

Record-setting year for kidney transplants
Are you a registered organ donor?

South Asian renal diet

New dietary guidance for South Asian patients is now available on the BC Renal website.

Low Phosphorus Diet and High vs. Low Phosphorus Food Choices use pictures, simple language and South Asian food choices to explain the optimal diet for South Asian renal patients.

New book on living with kidney disease

Priscilla Stanbury’s life with kidney disease started 35 years ago in England. Since then she has experienced life with PD treatments, a kidney transplant – for 22 years – and hemodialysis.

Profiles in Kidney Care

Dr. Mike Bevilacqua

New on the Web

View the latest documents, guidelines and protocols on the BC Renal website! Did you know? We are also on YouTube!