Issue: January 2021

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January 19, 2021
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Resources for kidney palliative care

Issue: January 2021
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For nephrologists and the multidisciplinary kidney care team, there is a great deal of information available about medical management without dialysis and kidney palliative (supportive care) in general.

Book

Palliative Care in Nephrology

Published by Oxford University Press, August 2020. Paperback $59.99.

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/palliative-care-in-nephrology-9780190945527?cc=us&lang=en&

It is also available as an eBook

I have felt the need for a single yet concise resource book on primary palliative care for nephrology professionals for a long time. I was thrilled to find and read Palliative Care in Nephrology. This book is a multidisciplinary collaborative effort among leading national and international experts and contains all the essential information on primary palliative care skills for nephrology professionals.

The book includes 24 chapters, which are easy to read, well written and contain useful information on various topics commonly encountered in real-world settings.

Besides successfully elaborating on patients’ everyday needs, the authors skillfully discuss different models for operationalizing supportive care in kidney clinics and sharing complex decisions with patients based on patient priorities. The authors also review the nuances of helping vulnerable patients with advance care planning, examine the techniques of successful prognostic discussions and elaborate on the tools to support patients who choose active medical management without dialysis.

I was particularly impressed by chapters on symptom management and patients’ psychosocial and spiritual needs because of the practical tips. Frankly, I was not expecting to see chapters on geriatric nephrology and supportive care needs of patients with acute kidney injury, but I was pleased to read these two well written chapters as well. The stories of patients like Anne, Ms. V, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Z, and EA are poignant but powerful. These stories seem to be from real life, are believable, and add an undeniable flavor of authenticity and humanity to the reading experience. This book has something for learners at all levels.

Fahad Saeed, MDDivision of nephrologyUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochester, MN

Organizations, websites

Coalition for Supportive Care of Kidney Patients Pathways Project

https://go.gwu.edu/mmwd

Conservative kidney management: Alberta Health Services, Canada

www.ckmcare.com

British Columbia Renal Agency

www.bcrenalagency.ca/health-professionals/clinical- resources/palliative-care

Renal and hypertension service: St George and Sutherland Hospitals, New South Wales, Australia

www.stgrenal.org.au/renal-supportive-care