Importance of Preventing Kidney Injuries

Over 10% of patients in the US who undergo certain procedures face serious kidney injuries, leading to higher healthcare costs and health issues. Effective prevention methods exist, but they are not always followed, and we need to understand which methods are cost-effective.

Study Objective

The goal of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of four different strategies to prevent kidney injuries in patients receiving cardiac catheterizations.

Study Design and Participants

This evaluation used a model to predict the quality of life and costs for patients after implementing prevention strategies. Data were collected from a major trial involving 20 medical centers from 2019 to 2021. Only patients aged 18 and above who had cardiac angiography were included.

Intervention Strategies

The four strategies compared were:

Assistance
Assistance with surveillance
Collaborative approach
Collaborative approach with surveillance

Main Findings

Out of 122,803 patients, 13,047 experienced kidney injuries (10.6%). The effectiveness of each strategy varied:

Assistance: 13.3% injury rate
Assistance with surveillance: 11.4% injury rate
Collaborative: 12.7% injury rate
Collaborative with surveillance: 7.9% injury rate

Costs per patient for the strategies were as follows:

Collaborative with surveillance: $12.74
Collaborative: $3.97
Assistance with surveillance: $3.36
Assistance: $2.69

Cost-Effectiveness Results

The collaborative approach with surveillance was found to be the most cost-effective. It not only reduced the likelihood of kidney injuries but also saved money compared to the other strategies.

Conclusions

The study concluded that using a collaborative approach with automated monitoring is the best strategy for preventing kidney injuries during cardiac procedures. This method can also be applied to other similar medical procedures.

Next Steps for Clinics

Define measurable outcomes and set clear goals for implementing these strategies.
Select AI tools that meet clinical needs.
Start with a pilot project and track results to measure the real-world impact.