About NKDEP

The National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) works to reduce the burden of CKD, especially among communities most impacted by the disease.

Chronic Kidney Disease: A Serious Public Health Problem

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious and growing public health problem in the United States. More than 20 million Americans aged 20 and older may have CKD, based on a decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR), a measure of kidney function. Although CKD is more prevalent than diabetes or congestive heart failure, many Americans with the key risk factors - diabetes and high blood pressure - do not know they are at risk. In addition, the rising rates of diabetes and obesity will continue to fuel its growth, as both conditions increase the risk of developing CKD and speed its progression. Therapies exist that can significantly slow the progression of CKD to kidney failure, yet many people who would benefit from treatment are not receiving it.

CKD and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) impose a tremendous public health burden, costing the U.S. health care system billions of dollars. Of the estimated 20 million American adults who have CKD, nearly 400,000 people in the United States and 2 million worldwide depend on dialysis to treat kidney failure. In 2008, CKD costs the nation $57.5 billion per year, or roughly 23 percent of total Medicare expenditures, and end stage renal disease carries a cost of $39.5 billion (2009 USRDS ADR). In addition, ESRD disproportionately impacts racial and ethnic minorities, particularly African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans.

NKDEP: A National Response

Established in 2000 by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NKDEP’s chief objective is to reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by CKD and its complications. NKDEP aims to improve early detection of CKD, facilitate identification of patients at greatest risk for progression to kidney failure, promote evidence-based interventions to slow progression of CKD, and support the coordination of Federal responses to CKD

Approach

To achieve its goals, NKDEP works in collaboration with a range of government, nonprofit, and health care organizations to:

• raise awareness among people at risk for CKD about the need for testing;
• educate people with CKD about how to manage their disease;
• provide information, training, and tools that help health professionals better identify and manage CKD patients; and
• support changes in the laboratory community that yield more accurate, reliable, and accessible test results.

Resources to facilitate these approaches can be found in the Resource Center.

NKDEP relies on guidance from experts in the health care and public health communities, partner organizations, as well as primary and secondary research, to inform program and materials development. These experts support NKDEP through the Coordinating Panel and Working Groups

NKDEP uses the Chronic Care Model as an organizing principle for its efforts. Read more about NKDEP’s activities and accomplishments in NKDEP: Reducing Disparities, Improving Care - A Summary Report.