Medical nutrition therapy seen as cost-effective, cost-saving method for late-stage CKD
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Key takeaways:
- Researchers estimated medical nutrition therapy saved more than $45,000 when compared with dialysis costs over the same time.
- Researchers call for MNT referrals to be standard care for all late-stage CKD.
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Implementing medical nutrition therapy for patients with late-stage chronic kidney disease saved an estimated $47,000 per patient by delaying the need for dialysis, according to a poster presented here.
“Medical nutrition therapy [MNT] has a profound positive impact on patients’ lives. It reduces medication burden, stabilizes blood pressure and labs, and instills a sense of confidence in patients, empowering them to make healthy choices at home and when dining with others,” Lauren Budd Levy, MS, RDN, CSR, of Happy Health Nutrition LLC, told Healio.
Levy and colleagues retrospectively analyzed outcomes for six patients who received referrals for MNT with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). On average, the patients delayed dialysis by 14 months after starting MNT therapy.
Calculating the costs of MNT therapy and comparing with dialysis costs, this analysis showed MNT to be beneficial.
The average reimbursement for MNT during the time of the study was $1,010.53, while the average cost for dialysis was $48,151.22. The average cost savings to the Medicare program totaled $47,140.69 per patient.
Levy reported one fall-related hospitalization during the 82 patient-months evaluated and that four of the six patients have not required dialysis intervention at this time. One patient did initiate dialysis with a fistula and one died, but it was not an end-stage renal disease-related death. Four patients had fistulas placed, and one patient is scheduled for a paired donor transplant.
The analysis shows that MNT is a cost-effective and cost-saving method to treat late-stage CKD, the researchers concluded. Increased referrals for RDN-delivered MNT could delay the need for dialysis and allow for fistula creation without hospitalization, they added.
“Increasing both the number of referrals to dietitians for CKD and referring earlier can significantly enhance patients’ lives and reduce health care costs. Imagine the impact if a referral to a dietitian is made when the patient initially books an appointment with a nephrologist. This could revolutionize routine care,” Levy said.
“We want other practitioners to understand that a nutrition referral should be a part of standard care. These data show that patients want nutrition counseling and are willing to make changes. Nutrition counseling should be a routine part of CKD nephrology care and work in conjunction with the nephrology practice. It is also important to understand that nutrition counseling happens with every set of labs and is not simply a class or one-session offering.”
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Levy LB, et al. Poster 451. Presented at: NKF Spring Clinical Meetings; May 14-18, 2024; Long Beach, Calif.
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