Health Equity and Kidney Disease Management

One in three Americans is at risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease notes that African Americans are almost four times as likely as Caucasians to develop kidney failure. A growing number of Hispanics are diagnosed with kidney disease each year. Native Americans are also disproportionately affected by kidney failure. Yet African American patients are less likely to receive kidney-related care before they reach end-stage renal disease. And “Black, Indigenous, and People of Color” (BIPOC) populations are less likely to receive a kidney transplant or even be referred for a transplant. Why is the incidence of CKD and ESRD higher in BIPOC populations? And what is preventing them from receiving even adequate, let alone equitable, kidney care? Those are among the issues we examine in the new executive briefing, “Health Equity and Kidney Disease Management,” available now.