TAMPA, Fla. – In conjunction with National Kidney Month in March, the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) and the Medical Education Institute, Inc., (MEI) announce a new partnership effort to identify and implement quality of life measurements with the goal of improving patient outcomes in the more than 300,000 Americans on dialysis. The new initiative joins the strengths of both organizations in a push for improved kidney care quality and accountability.
“AAKP has a longstanding focus on both quality of life and quality of dialysis care. This initiative, for AAKP, is part of a larger strategy that encompasses numerous educational programs and initiatives to use quality of life markers to improve patients’ overall well-being. It’s time for patients to be a key part of the dialog and to help set the targets that define a high caliber of quality dialysis care,” says AAKP Executive Director and CEO Kris Robinson. “We approached MEI to work with us on this important project because they have always championed the importance of clinical outcomes and they hold the belief that quality of life indicators lead to better health outcomes.”
“I believe that the exclusive focus of the kidney community on blood test values as quality indicators does not account for the many other outcome measures that contribute to patient well-being – such as how active patients can be, their quality of life and whether they are employed if they are working-age,” says MEI Executive Director Dori Schatell, MS. “Our combined efforts will drive a more patient-driven and person-centered approach, based on assessment of physical activity and emotional well-being, which are associated with morbidity and mortality. We’re delighted to be working with the AAKP on this effort, because AAKP represents a national patient voice and has tremendous credibility in the community.”
In the late spring, a multidisciplinary, invitation-only meeting will be held to identify and address ways to incorporate quality measures into the renal community. A report of joint recommendations and next steps will be released later this year.
AAKP is the voluntary, patient organization, which for more than 35 years, has been dedicated to improving the lives of fellow kidney patients and their families by helping them deal with the physical, emotional and social impact of kidney disease. The programs offered by AAKP inform and inspire patients and their families to better understand their condition, adjust more readily to their circumstances, and assume more normal, productive lives in their communities. To learn more about AAKP, visit http://www.akkp.org or call (800) 749-2257.
The MEI is nonprofit (501c3) private foundation dedicated to helping people with chronic disease learn to manage and improve their health, through health behavior research and research-based educational materials. For MEI materials, visit www.lifeoptions.org, http://www.kidneyschool.org or http://www.homedialysis.org. To learn more about MEI educational and consulting services, visit http://www.meiresearch.org, email info@meiresearch.org or call (608) 833-8033.