Chronic kidney disease management in southeast England: A preliminary cross-sectional report from the QICKD - Quality Improvement in Chronic Kidney Disease study

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity, especially in people with cardiovascular disease. Interventions that can be delivered in primary care have the potential to slow the progression of the disease. People with CKD can be identified readily and reliably from GP computer systems. Objective: To report the baseline quality of CKD management. Method: Pseudonymised routinely collected data from a representative sample of 14 practices across Surrey were extracted as part of a quality improvement study. Results: The crude and adjusted prevalences of stage 3 to 5 CKD are 6.3% and 5.8%, respectively. More than twice as many females (8.8%) as males (3.9%) have this condition. Hypertension, diabetes, ischaemic heart disease and other cardiovascular disease and anaemia are much more common with deteriorating renal function. Conclusions: The reported prevalence is lower than suggested by previous studies but this may reflect the lower levels of cardiovascular disease associated with a healthier lifestyle in the Southeast. However, there is scope to further improve the quality of CKD management in Surrey. Programmes carefully targeted at high-risk groups could slow the progression of CKD and therefore reduce the need for renal replacement therapy.