Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) do not receive the information they wish regarding their illness progression, prognosis, or the care options available to them as medical decisions are made, according to the results of a study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

“Communication of prognosis and discussions related to planning for future death are lacking in routine care of CKD patients,” writes Sara N. Davison, assistant professor of medicine, University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

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We at Pyramid Pharmacy Services understand how difficult it can be to ensure compliance with medication regimens, especially for individuals with one or more chronic illness. We also understand how costly it can be for both the individual consumer and public and private payers.

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Tips for physicians offered; a community program reports its success

In addition to advocating for a cultural change in nursing homes to make them more resident centered, the author of a recent article is the Archives of Internal Medicine urges that physicians be alert to opportunities for delaying nursing home admission, or even for avoiding it altogether.

“Incorporating a resident-centered philosophy can begin even before a nursing home admission, either through better preparation of the patient and family or through avoiding the admission altogether,” writes Mary Anne Johnson, MD, professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, at the University of California, San Francisco.