We want to tell you about an important research collaboration between IgA Nephropathy Foundation and the National Kidney Foundation (NKF).
This research will have two phases. First, separate surveys of patients with IgAN and nephrology care team members (nephrologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners) will assess patients’ and nephrologists’ perceptions of communications between the two groups during office visits. Information from these surveys will help us understand, for instance, whether a provider’s communication skills correlate with years in practice, or whether patients’ satisfaction with a provider’s treatment is related to patients’ level of self-advocacy, and many other relationships.
The surveys will also provide the framework to design the second phase of the research: workshops to reveal 1) the barriers to optimal communications between patients with IgAN and providers and 2) potential solutions to these barriers, toward achieving high quality communications during office visits.
Workshops will be held in five regions of the US. Small groups of patients and members of nephrology care teams, all in the same room, will share their experiences, needs, perceived barriers, and suggested solutions to improve office visit communications.
A final report will be issued as well as a publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Finally, we intend to generate a “best practices” guide for optimal patient-nephrologist communications.
The success of this research depends on your participation. So, in the next few weeks, please watch for the survey.
IgAN Cookbook and Aware Day Press Release