KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — AstraZeneca and health care industry leaders have launched a new app for primary care doctors to manage chronic kidney disease (CKD), besides a tool to predict the risk of kidney failure.
This strategic partnership includes the Malaysian Society of Nephrology (MSN), the Malaysian Association of Clinical Biochemists (MACB), Chapter of Chemical Pathology and Metabolic Medicine, College of Pathologists, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (CPMM, CPath AMM), Premier Integrated Labs, Innoquest Pathology, Lablink Medical Laboratory, and Sunway Medical Centre Laboratory.
Witnessed by Ministry of Health (MOH) medical practice division director Dr Mohamed Iqbal Hamzah, this first-of-its-kind innovative partnership was sealed here yesterday between multiple health care players and medical societies.
In Malaysia, more than five million people have CKD, yet only 5 per cent are aware of it. Over 51,000 Malaysians currently live with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and require kidney replacement therapy. Public sector expenses for ESRD in Malaysia reached RM 1.2 billion in 2016, marking a 94 per cent increase over seven years.
Even more alarming, a significant portion of health care spending goes into dialysis, sidelining crucial preventive measures and early treatments.
The most common risk factors for CKD are type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension . It is widely acknowledged that both new and existing cases of CKD are rising, and these numbers are increasing in parallel to the growing prevalence of diabetes and other risk factors in both developed and developing countries.
This has resulted in a significant burden of CKD-related illness and death, even in the early stages, a risk that is compounded by the presence of diabetes.
Since early detection and intervention in CKD are crucial for delaying the progression of CKD-related complications and reducing mortality, the smart partnership announced today seeks to encourage health care professionals and policymakers to take proactive steps to promote early detection and intervention in CKD.
MSN’s MyCKD CPG app: Advancing CKD Management with Digital Innovation
Powered by MSN, the MyCKD CPG app is a comprehensive one-stop digital solution providing holistic decision to aid approaches for CKD management for primary care physicians; ranging from tools to facilitate early diagnosis and intervention to providing access to determine risk of CKD progression using the Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE).
This digital innovation serves as a cornerstone to improve CKD management in Malaysia, aimed at enhancing the knowledge level, awareness and practice in the early detection and timely intervention of CKD.
KFRE: Embedding Kidney Failure Risk Equation into Laboratory Reporting System
Additionally, one of the partnership’s main strategies is also to further elevate KFRE clinical utility by integrating it into lab reports. This risk equation estimates the 2- and 5-year probability of kidney failure in patients with CKD stages 3 to 5, based on variables such as age, gender, urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
The impact of KFRE automation into clinical practice is pivotal for primary care physicians to improve on risk stratification to optimally manage CKD patients to delay CKD progression. Importantly, this will enable patients with CKD to make informed decisions and take a proactive approach to manage underlying risk factors.
Knowing their risk of kidney failure empowers patients with CKD to take charge of their health, and if the risk is low, this knowledge will help individuals make discerning choices about their wellbeing.
However, if the risk is high, this early prediction allows patients to take proactive measures to manage their health, potentially slowing the progression of CKD and delaying the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant.
“This innovative partnership demonstrates AstraZeneca’s commitment to transforming outcomes for people through early diagnosis of chronic diseases like CKD,” said AstraZeneca Malaysia country president Vinod Narayanan.
“By harnessing the power of digital tools such as the MyCKD CPG app, KFRE integration and working collaboratively with other partners across the health ecosystem, we are advancing health care for society and improving better outcomes for patients.
“As a global, science-led pharmaceutical company, we are focused on early intervention for the prevention and treatment of CKD. To achieve this, we aim to screen 140 million individuals at-risk of CKD worldwide by 2025 and transform kidney health by reducing the rate of patients progressing to kidney failure by 20 per cent.
“We see ourselves as a vital partner to the health care community and are dedicated to collaborating with multiple stakeholders – patients, health care professionals, policymakers, industry leaders, and others – to transform CKD care and treatment”.
MSN president Dr Lily Mushahar said, “The smart partnership unveiled today represents a significant step forward in CKD care in Malaysia. At MSN, we believe that providing health care professionals with the tools to improve CKD management as well as kidney failure risk will not only improve patient outcomes, but also significantly reduce the CKD burden on our health care system”.
MACB president Dr Raja Elina Raja Aziddin said, “By integrating the KFRE into laboratory information system (LIS), we are helping to elevate the way CKD is diagnosed and treated in Malaysia. This collaboration reflects our commitment to advancing health care through innovation and scientific rigor, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on patient care”.
Associate Professor Dr Subashini C. Thambiah, president of the Chapter of Chemical Pathology and Metabolic Medicine, College of Pathologists, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (CPMM, CPath AMM), said, “It is an important milestone to integrate KFRE into lab reports, as it will enhance patient outcomes and resource utilisation by accurately predicting CKD progression, facilitating appropriate referral to the nephrologist, and guiding shared decision-making between clinicians and patients.
“We are glad to be one of the partners, as it aligns with the Chapter’s vision of advancing the practice of chemical pathology and metabolic medicine to improve patient safety and clinical outcome”.
According to the laboratory partners, laboratories play a pivotal role in the early detection and diagnosis of CKD. This collaborative effort to integrate the KFRE into lab reports represent a significant advancement in CKD management across Malaysia.
By standardising KFRE in our laboratory processes, we equip health care professionals with essential tools to proactively manage CKD, ultimately improving patient outcomes and enhancing kidney health nationwide.
Premier Integrated Labs, Innoquest Pathology, Lablink Medical Laboratory, and Sunway Medical Centre Laboratory are committed to report KFRE automatically in their labs.
Members of the public are encouraged to consult their doctors to learn more about the KFRE. Meanwhile, health care professionals may register for a continuing medical education (CME) session on the KFRE here.
