Task Force on Chronic Kidney Disease

There are more than 11,000 people with end stage renal disease in North Carolina, and many more with chronic kidney disease. Many individuals who have, or are at risk of developing chronic kidney disease are unaware of this problem, and fail to obtain appropriate care that can help them manage their health problems. This is a health problem that disproportionately impacts on African American and Native American populations.

In the 2006 Session, the NC General Assembly asked the NC Institute of Medicine to convene a task force to study chronic kidney disease (Sec. 48 of HB 1723). The Task Force will be co-chaired by Marcus Plescia, Chief of the NC Division of Public Health's Chronic Disease and Injury Section, and Leanne Skipper, Chief Executive Officer of the National Kidney Foundation of NC.

Specifically, the NC IOM Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force was asked to develop a plan to:

1. Reduce the occurrence of chronic kidney disease by controlling the most common risk factors, diabetes and hypertension, through preventive efforts at the community level and disease management efforts in the primary care setting.
2. Educate the public and health care professionals about the advantages and methods of early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic kidney disease and its complications based on Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative Clinical Practice Guidelines for chronic kidney disease or other medically recognized clinical practice guidelines.
3. Educate health care professionals about early renal replacement therapy education for patients (including in center dialysis, home hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis as well as vascular access options and transplantation) prior to the onset of end-stage renal disease when kidney function is declining.
4. Make recommendations on the implementation of a cost effective plan for prevention, early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic kidney disease and its complications for the State's population.
5. Identify current barriers to adoption of best practices and potential policy options to address these barriers.

The Task Force will make an interim report to the General Assembly in the 2007 session, and the final report no later than the beginning of the 2008 session.