Conservative Care Pathway for Kidney Care A new guideline marks the next step toward implementation of a conservative care pathway initially outlined in the provincial Kidney Care Committee’s Best Practices Paper. The guideline provides additional details to support implementation in Kidney Care clinics (KCCs) across the province. Developed collaboratively by the provincial Kidney Care and the Palliative Care Committees, the guideline describes the phases of KCC care, including those specific to patients on the conservative care pathway. Symptom Assessment for KCC Patients Working with the Palliative Care Committee, the Kidney Care Committee has developed a guideline for the assessment and management of symptoms for CKD patients with a GFR of less than 15. The guideline is also intended for patients reporting significant CKD-related symptoms. Symptom assessment will be done using a modified form of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). Symptom management will follow protocols developed by a KCC working group. Protocols have been drafted for restless leg syndrome, pruritis, constipation, muscle cramps, nausea, low appetite and fatigue/insomnia. Patient education handouts are also being developed. The guideline, symptom management protocols and patient handouts will be posted on the BC Renal Agency website this summer. Improved KCC "Med Rec" on PROMIS  The medication reconciliation process in PROMIS has been enhanced and now supports entry forms and reports for Kidney Care Clinic (KCC) patients.
Training sessions about the PROMIS functions are now available for new KCC users. To register for medication reconciliation KCC training go to the online course registration system and search for PROMIS Medication Reconciliation. If you haven’t registered on the system before, select “new user” to register. Long History of HHD in BC In a recent Renal News story about home hemodialysis (HHD) we implied that the first application of HHD in British Columbia was in 2004, with the creation of the BC Renal Agency’s Provincial Home Hemodialysis Program. We received an important clarification from retired nephrologist, Dr. Angus Rae, that the first use of HHD in BC actually occurred in 1969 – almost 35 years earlier. Dr. Rae is eminently qualified to offer this correction, as he was involved in the training and care of some of the first patients to receive HHD in this province. Provincial PD Assist Approved  PHSA has approved the provincial roll-out of a PD Assist Program, based on positive outcomes from the pilot project. The provincial program will be modelled on the criteria and approach used in the pilot.
PD Assist (PDA) is focused on patients who need help to maintain their PD care – generally elderly or disabled patients. It includes both respite and long-term assistance options. Pan-Canadian PD Contract Negotiations will begin soon between provincial representatives and PD supply vendors to define the terms of a new PD supply contract for BC. Renal programs from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and BC are cooperating in a multi-province process with the aim of reducing PD supply costs through increased volumes. A signed contract for BC is expected by early fall and implementation of the new supply agreement should begin before the year-end. Pharmacy & Formulary Committee  Members of the provincial Pharmacy & Formulary Committee are focused on a wide range of initiatives and clinical studies.
The committee is working with the Pharmacare program to ensure that revisions to Pharmacare’s funding guidelines for a number of medications don’t result in kidney patients on those drugs losing provincial funding for their prescriptions. The committee is also supporting pharmacy residents at two health authorities in their work on improving medication use for kidney patients. In Fraser Health, pharmacy resident Matthew Lum is undertaking an eight-year retrospective study of Cinacalcet. Largest National CKD Research Project This spring, federal minister of health Jane Philpott announced the launch of the largest-ever Canadian kidney disease research initiative. Canadians Seeking Solutions and Innovations to Overcome Chronic Kidney Disease (Can-SOLVE CKD) is a $59-million, five-year research program focused on changing the way renal care providers collaborate to improve care for people with kidney disease. Kidney Foundation of Canada 
Shine a Light Kidney Gala The fourth annual Shine a Light Gala was the most successful ever, raising $230,000 for kidney patients and kidney research. More than 300 guests attended this year’s fundraising gala, held March 3rd at the Fairmont Vancouver. The gala was co-chaired by Drs. Adeera Levin and John Gill and co-hosted by The Kidney Foundation of Canada and The Canadian Society of Nephrology. The event featured remarks from BC health minister Terry Lake and Yukon health minister Mike Nixon. Renal patient Doug Brown shared some reflections on his battle with kidney disease. The MCs for the event were CTV news anchor Norma Reid and celebrity columnist Fred Lee. Watch for information about the 5th annual event in the months ahead.
BC Police Chiefs Support Organ Donation Campaign The BC Association of Chiefs of Police is supporting The Kidney Foundation of Canada, BC & Yukon Branch for a campaign to help save the lives of people waiting for an organ transplant. The foundation’s organ donation campaign, Heroes aren't born, they're registered, aims to help organizations raise awareness about the seriousness of kidney disease and encourage organ donor registration amongst their members and the communities they serve.
New Kidney Suite The Kidney Foundation has announced a seventh new kidney suite will be opened in May. Six of these kidney suites are dedicated to adult transplant recipients from outside the Lower Mainland who need to recover from their transplant surgery in Vancouver. The remaining suite is a three-bedroom townhouse for children and their families from outside the Lower Mainland when they must be in the city for hemodialysis or transplant. Over the years more than 300 transplant recipients have benefited by staying in one of the foundation’s kidney suites.
Kidney Mortgages Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Excellence has pledged $1 million over the next five years towards the fight against kidney disease. For every “kidney mortgage” it approves, Dominion Lending Centres will donate $224 to The Kidney Foundation of Canada. For more information, visit http://www.kidneymortgage.ca. | | | | | | | | In mid May, the BC Renal Agency unveiled a new and improved website, featuring more intuitive navigation and a cleaner look. New information and tools for patients and care teams are added on a regular basis. Check it out. | | | Online PD Patient Training | | The Peritoneal Dialysis Committee has developed a series of online, self-paced patient training modules covering various aspects of peritoneal dialysis care. | | | Advanced Level PD Course at BCIT | | 
In collaboration with the BC Renal Agency, BCIT’s nephrology nursing program is launching a new online course on advanced level PD and self-care management and support. | | | | Province-wide implementation of the NxStage home dialysis system is well underway with the system now in use by patients in Vancouver Coastal, Island Health, Interior Health and Northern Health. Over the next two months, staff at Fraser Health will begin training on NxStage, which involves a very different process from conventional hemodialysis. | | | | 
2016 was a milestone year for the annual Western Canada PD Days conference, held March 31st - April 1st at the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel in Vancouver. | | | Online Resource for CKD Patients | | A new Canadian website has been launched with a focus on psychosocial issues related to kidney disease for patients, families and care staff. Click Here | | | | 
The Kidney Foundation of Canada has updated and expanded its Living with Kidney Disease patient handbook. There are now two books. | | | | 
This past March, the BC Renal Agency promoted World Kidney Day and Kidney Health Month across BC. These efforts are aimed at informing the public and high-risk groups about the importance of detecting kidney disease early and about healthy lifestyle choices for maintaining kidney health. Throughout the month, Kidney Smart ads were run in the Vancouver Sun, ethnic language publications, on Vancouver buses and Skytrains, and to a targeted audience through Facebook. The 31 Days to Good #KidneyHealth campaign, which consists of daily diet and lifestyle tips, was also posted on Facebook and Twitter. These tips were aimed at the general public without diagnosed kidney disease. This year’s achievements: - 2,602 online kidney assessments completed.
- 113,403 Facebook users across BC reached through our Kidney Smart campaign.
- Kidney assessment ads were shown over 230,000 times in the Vancouver Sun (online edition) and other affiliated newspapers.
- Kidneysmart.com received over 15,000 visits and was the BC Renal Agency’s most visited webpage during the month of March.
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Maximizing quality of life is a high priority for Victoria nephrologist, Dr. Gaylene Hargrove. And it’s a rule she applies as much to her patients as to herself and her family. | | | |
