Employment Outcomes in Kidney Disease Management
Summary
Kidney disease, encompassing a spectrum from early chronic kidney disease (CKD) through end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), poses substantial challenges to workforce participation. Progressive loss of renal function often coincides with fatigue, cognitive strain and treatment schedules that disrupt working hours. Individuals on haemodialysis may face frequent absences, impaired productivity and limited opportunities for full-time or permanent roles, while transplant recipients navigate immunosuppressive regimens and comorbidity management that can still affect job performance. Socioeconomic factors such as educational attainment, gender and access to workplace accommodations further modulate employment trajectories. Globally, low employment rates among patients with advanced disease underscore the need for integrated clinical and vocational interventions. By addressing physical limitations, psychosocial support and flexible work arrangements, kidney care teams can improve job retention and quality of life, yielding benefits for patients, employers and healthcare systems alike.
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Employment Outcomes in Kidney Disease Management publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in employment outcomes in kidney disease management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Chronic kidney disease (CKD): a progressive condition marked by declining glomerular filtration rate, staged G1–G5 based on severity.
End-stage kidney disease (ESKD): the final stage of CKD (stage G5), requiring renal replacement therapy such as dialysis or transplantation.
Dialysis: a blood-cleansing process—haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis—used to remove toxins and excess fluid when kidneys fail.
Precarious employment: work characterized by insecurity, lack of stable contracts or insufficient worker protections.
Presenteeism: reduced on-the-job performance and productivity despite physical presence, often due to health-related symptoms or treatment demands.
Productivity loss: the economic impact of absenteeism and presenteeism, measured as reduced work output or earnings over time.
References
- Association between prevalence and severity of chronic kidney disease and employment status: a nationwide study in Korea. BMC Public Health (2024).
- Employment of patients with kidney failure treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation—a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Nephrology (2021).
- Sustained employment, work disability and work functioning in CKD patients: a cross-sectional survey study. Journal of Nephrology (2022).
- Development and implementation of work-oriented clinical care to empower patients with kidney disease: an adapted intervention mapping approach. BMC Health Services Research (2023).
- Estimation of lifetime productivity loss from patients with chronic diseases: methods and empirical evidence of end-stage kidney disease from Taiwan. Health Economics Review (2024).
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