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Gaps in Chronic Kidney Disease Detection in Primary Care Revealed in New Research

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A significant gap in the detection of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in primary care settings has been identified through a large-scale study involving Australian general practices. The research, conducted by the University of New South Wales, analyzed data from 2.7 million adults who visited participating general practices between 2012 and 2020. The study found that substantial gaps exist in the follow-up of abnormal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) testing, essential for detecting CKD. The findings highlight the need for effective strategies to optimize follow-up testing for CKD detection in primary care settings.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study involved 2,717,966 adults who visited Australian general practices between 2012 and 2020, with 1 serum creatinine measurement and no CKD at baseline.
  • The research found substantial gaps in follow-up testing for abnormal eGFR and UACR, essential for detecting CKD, in primary care settings.
  • The study identified that only 24.6% of participants with abnormal eGFR received follow-up testing within 6 months.
  • The corresponding UACR follow-up rate was 24.1%.
  • A total of 12.1% of participants with abnormal eGFR and UACR had no follow-up testing.
  • Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim funded the research.
  • The study's authors include Sallie-Anne Pearson, David Peiris, Meg J Jardine, Mark Woodward, John Chalmers, Paul E Ronksley, Michael O Falster, Brendon L Neuen, Sradha Kotwal, Min Jun, Daniel Bekele Ketema, Hannah Wallace, Angela Kathy Li, James Wick, and Jialing Lin.

Statistics:

  • 2,717,966 adults participated in the study.
  • 1.2 million participants had abnormal eGFR at baseline.
  • 953,419 participants had abnormal UACR at baseline.
  • 24.6% of participants with abnormal eGFR received follow-up testing within 6 months.
  • 24.1% of participants with abnormal UACR received follow-up testing within 6 months.
  • 12.1% of participants with abnormal eGFR and UACR had no follow-up testing within 6 months.

Sources:

  • "Patterns of follow-up testing of abnormal eGFR and UACR for the detection of chronic kidney disease in Australian primary care: analysis of a national general practice dataset." BMJ Open, 2025, 15(10).
  • University of New South Wales, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.

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