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ASN President’s Address: Past lessons will guide future of nephrology
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SAN DIEGO — For advancements in nephrology, nephrologists must look to past lessons and developments and embrace innovative research, according to the President’s Address at ASN Kidney Week 2018.
“Our rich history of inquiry, innovation and perseverance has defined our specialty of nephrology,” Mark D. Okusa, MD, president of ASN, said during his address. “This history should continue to inspire us. I find it illuminating to reflect on our past in order to see beyond the current state of our specialty and into the future.”
Okusa noted key milestones that have helped to shape the development of nephrology, including the expansion of Medicare coverage to Americans with kidney failure and the discovery of the polycystic kidney disease 1 gene.
“Time and creativity will optimize new creativity leading to vast new opportunities,” he said. “Time and creativity are already bringing us advances. Machine learning, artificial intelligence and the expansion of health information technology has health care on the verge of potentially substantial improvements in quality, safety, patient and clinical experiments, and efficiency.”
Kidney diseases contribute to a staggering global burden with more than 850 million people worldwide having some form of kidney disease, which is double the amount of people living with diabetes, he said.
Nephrology must continue to transform by improving research, discovery and innovation, promoting high-quality care for people with kidney diseases, increasing interest in nephrology careers and reasserting the value of nephrology, according to Okusa.
To continue advancing nephrology into the future, nephrologists must affirm ownership of new and existing therapies, embrace clinical trials and innovative research, manage transitions of care, redefining the importance of prevention and comprehensive kidney health, eliminate inequalities in health care access and treatment and recommit to the excellence in education in kidney physiology and diseases, according to Okusa.
“Some may say nephrology is at a crossroads,” Okusa said. “I believe nephrology is beyond the crossroads. Together we have responded with provocation and disruption and we have initiated vanguard programs that continue to bring back the luster of nephrology and distinguish nephrology as a discipline.”
“We must adapt to current trends and embrace discovery and innovation so that we can impact the health of people with kidney diseases,” he continued. “We must continue to change, redesign and implement bold strategies to ensure that nephrologists are central to the care of more than 850 million people worldwide with kidney diseases.” – by Alaina Tedesco
Reference:
Okusa M. Opening Plenary Session. Presented at: ANS Kidney Week 2018; Oct. 23-28, 2018; San Diego.
Disclosure: Okusa is the current American Society of Nephrology president.