The University of Cincinnati (UC) Division of Nephrology, in 2016 launched the “Clinical Advancement, Research and Education” or referred to as the “Kidney C.A.R.E. Program” at the Meadowview Regional Medical Center in Maysville Kentucky. Last month, the program was expanded to the Margaret Mary Hospital (MMH) in Batesville, Indiana.
The UC Health tele-nephrology program enables patients with renal disease and other kidney related conditions to be treated at their local hospitals with direct access to care from medical experts at UC” said, Charuhas Thakar, MD, Professor and Director of the Division of Nephrology’s, Kidney C.A.R.E program within the Department of Internal Medicine at the UC College of Medicine.
Thakar reports “Over a third of hospitals in the U.S located in rural zip codes provide care to 20 percent of the population. An estimated 1,300 of these hospitals are considered Critical Access Hospitals. Since the tele-nephrology program began at the Meadowview Regional Medical Center, they have treated more than 50 patients and provided over 200 bed days of care. Of these patients, 81 percent were successfully treated and discharged back home into their community.”
Amit Govil, MD, Professor and Medical Director of the Kidney Transplant Program in the Department of Internal Medicine at UC College of Medicine said, “When an emergency room doctor or hospitalist feels the need to get a kidney specialist opinion, we will determine the necessity of a consultation as well as the opportune time to do a tele-visit within two categories such as provider-to-provider or a provider-to-patient tele-visit.”
According to Thakar, “End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients make up only one percent of Medicare beneficiaries, but they consume 10 percent of the Medicare budget. The per-patient cost per year for people with ESRD is more than $80,000. One out of three patients admitted to the hospital has chronic kidney disease or will develop the need for a nephrology consult. Also, one of the objectives of this program is to develop a hub-and-spoke model in the region and beyond.”