Self-Management Strategies in Chronic Kidney Disease
Summary
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) often progresses silently over many years, imposing a substantial global burden on healthcare systems and affecting quality of life. Self-management strategies empower individuals to take an active role in monitoring and preserving kidney function. These strategies encompass a spectrum of approaches, including patient education programmes, lifestyle modification, digital health interventions, medication adherence support and collaborative care models. Education initiatives focus on imparting knowledge of disease mechanisms, dietary restrictions, blood pressure control and fluid management. Lifestyle modification targets smoking cessation, weight management, exercise and stress reduction to mitigate cardiovascular risk and delay progression. Digital platforms, such as mobile applications and telemonitoring systems, facilitate real-time tracking of blood pressure, biochemical parameters and treatment regimens, while enabling personalised feedback. Medication adherence is reinforced through pharmacist-led counselling, electronic reminders and motivational interviewing. Patient activation interventions aim to build self-efficacy and problem-solving skills, fostering confidence to perform self-care tasks. Collaborative care models integrate multidisciplinary teams—nephrologists, nurses, pharmacists and community resources—to deliver tailored support. Collectively, these strategies promote sustained engagement, improve clinical outcomes and have the potential to reduce healthcare utilisation worldwide.
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Self-Management Strategies in Chronic Kidney Disease publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in self-management strategies in chronic kidney disease across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): A calculated measure of kidney function based on serum creatinine, age, sex and race.
Albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR): A urine test reflecting the amount of protein leakage, used to assess kidney damage.
Patient activation measure (PAM): A validated scale that quantifies an individual’s knowledge, skills and confidence in managing their health.
Telemonitoring: The remote collection and transmission of health data from a patient to healthcare providers for ongoing management.
Self-efficacy: The belief in one’s capability to organise and execute actions required to manage prospective situations effectively.
References
- Long-Term Efficacy of an AI-Based Health Coaching Mobile App in Slowing the Progression of Nondialysis-Dependent Chronic Kidney Disease: Retrospective Cohort Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research (2024).
- Impact of mobile application and outpatient follow-up on renal endpoints and physiological indices in patients with chronic kidney disease: a retrospective cohort study in Southwest China. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making (2024).
- The effectiveness of patient activation interventions in adults with chronic kidney disease: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing (2023).
- Self-management interventions for chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Nephrology (2019).
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