This year, World Kidney Day puts the focus on patient empowerment and life participation, as well as support for caregivers. World Kidney Day 2021, which occurs on March 11, is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations—World Kidney Alliance (IFKF—WKA) that focuses on “Living Well With Kidney Disease.”*

“The World Kidney Day (WKD) steering committee calls for the inclusion of life participation as a key focus in the care of patients with CKD to achieve the ultimate goal of living well with kidney disease,” states an editorial in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (AJKD). 

This patient-centered approach focused on how chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects the patient, such as their participation in day-to-day activities. The goal is to move away from what is currently seen as a disease-centric approach that focuses more on simply preserving kidney health and function.

Breaking down the World Kidney Day theme 

Patient empowerment involves educating patients on how to engage in a prolonged course of wellness. One such example is by taking the necessary steps to help prevent CKD progression. This means patients should be well-versed in how to make the necessary lifestyle and diet modifications, such as a plant-based, low-protein diet, and how to comply with taking any prescribed CKD medications. 

To motivate and encourage patients, care teams should also focus on patients’ strengths to remind them they can overcome life’s challenges, as well as bring the patient’s hopes, aspirations, interests, and values to the forefront. 

By improving self-management, patients may feel a greater sense of control over their health and become more confident about participating in everyday activities. They may continue to participate in life activities, whether it’s work, traveling, or participating in their favorite hobbies. Life participation gives CKD patients a sense of normalcy and can increase their quality of life. 

This same concept applies to caregivers, who take on a substantial amount of burden in caring for a loved one with CKD. They should also be encouraged to engage in life participation for enhanced quality of life.

A call-to-action for policymakers

The World Kidney Day theme, which is focused on patient-centered wellness, also has an advocacy element. Policymakers are encouraged to increase resources to enable patients to live well with kidney disease, such as:

• Promoting home dialysis therapies to improve quality of life, which can be done in conjunction with “assisted dialysis” programs to reduce patient and care partner fatigue and burnout
• Taking different approaches and producing different resources for people of various socioeconomic statuses, including identifying and changing structural biases, discrimination, and disparities in the healthcare system
• Preventing disease progression through the promotion of early detection and the development of an effective secondary prevention program (to enable a prolonged course of wellness for those who already have CKD) 

By taking these steps, the quality of life of CKD patients and their caregivers could see a positive shift. This topic is especially timely, as it relates to patients of all types being unable to receive the steady care they were used to receiving before, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In educating patients and their caregivers on how to support themselves and maintain good health while at home, disease progression can be mitigated and quality of life can be elevated. This approach can be applied to life both in and outside of the pandemic. 

More information on World Kidney Day 2021 can be found on the day’s website.

*Kalantar-Zadeh, K., Kam-Tao Li, P., Tantisattamo, E., Poidevin, A., et al. (2021, Feb. 21). World Kidney Day 2021: Living Well With Kidney Disease by Patient and Care Partner Empowerment—Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere. American Journal of Kidney Diseases. https://www.ajkd.org/article/S0272-6386(21)00023-8/fulltext