Clinical policies on the management of chronic kidney disease patients in Italy.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have indicated that the implementation of international guidelines for the management of renal patients is suboptimal in Italy. The Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) decided to undertake a multicentre study to obtain a clear picture of clinical policies on chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Italy.


METHODS
A 76-item structured questionnaire, designed to evaluate the organization of clinical care, was administered to the director of each participating centre, within the context of a large observational trial in 100 Italian nephrology centres, collecting information on newly diagnosed CKD patients (K/DOQI stage 3-5) on conservative treatment. This paper reports the questionnaire results related to management of anaemia and bone metabolism disorders; assessment of renal function; creation of a vascular access for dialysis and referral of patients to a nephrologist.


RESULTS
Clinical policies at the centre level deviated from guideline recommendations in 70% (timing of vascular access creation) to 25% (assessment of iron deficiency) of centres. Assessment of renal function differed from the recommended approach in 30% of centres; clinical policies related to anaemia and bone disease did not coincide with guideline standards in 50 and 40% of centres, respectively. Directors of renal unit estimates indicate that the creation of a vascular access occurs very late in 38% of patients and that referral to a nephrologist is late in approximately 40% of cases.


CONCLUSION
This survey in Italy highlights important deviations of clinical policies at the centre level from guideline recommendations.