Albuminuria testing and nephrology care among insured US adults with chronic kidney disease: a missed opportunity

Abstract

Abstract Background In chronic kidney disease (CKD), assessment of both estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria are necessary for stratifying risk and determining the need for nephrology referral. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes clinical practice guidelines for CKD recommend nephrology referral for eGFR < 30 ml/min/1.73m2 or for urinary albumin/creatinine ratio ≥ 300 mg/g. Methods Using a national claims database of US patients covered by commercial insurance or Medicare Advantage, we identified patients with CKD who were actively followed in primary care. We examined receipt of nephrology care within 1 year among these patients according to their stage of CKD, classified using eGFR and albuminuria categories. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine odds of receiving nephrology care by CKD category, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, diabetes, heart failure, and coronary artery disease. Results Among 291,155 patients with CKD, 55% who met guideline-recommended referral criteria had seen a nephrologist. Receipt of guideline-recommended nephrology care was higher among those with eGFR < 30 (64%; 11,330/17738) compared with UACR ≥300 mg/g (51%; 8789/17290). 59% did not have albuminuria testing. Those patients without albuminuria testing had substantially lower adjusted odds of recommended nephrology care (aOR 0.47 [0.43, 0.52] for eGFR < 30 ml/min/1.73m2). Similar patterns were observed in analyses stratified by diabetes status. Conclusions Only half of patients meeting laboratory criteria for nephrology referral were seen by a nephrologist. Underutilization of albuminuria testing may be a barrier to identifying primary care patients at elevated kidney failure risk who may warrant nephrology referral.