Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), the USA’s largest non-profit advocacy organisation for dialysis patients and their families, has announced a first-in-USA kidney disease training curriculum for community health workers (CHWs). The training will help community health workers educate their communities about kidney disease and help people at risk for kidney failure learn how to take care of their health and slow the progression of the disease.
DPC led a 14-person task force from the Illinois Kidney Care Alliance (IKCA) that developed model job descriptions for CHWs, training objectives and a curriculum outline. Key curriculum development partners include the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA), The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois, University of Illinois Aging & Diversity Laboratory, National Kidney Foundation, Baxter Black Kidney Awareness, Resources, and Education (K.A.R.E.) and the Hospice and Palliative Care (HAP) research and education foundation.
The curriculum consists of six self-paced online modules; your kidney and you, chronic kidney disease awareness, self-care for kidney health, disparities and kidney disease, diagnosis and treatment, and coping with diagnosis, trauma, and grief.
The course will require attendance at a two-hour, in-person training session. The first training cohort is open between 22 July and 16 August 2024. All six modules must be completed during this time frame. The final two-hour in-person session will be held at the IPHA Community Health Worker Summit on 21 August in Springfield, USA.
Andrew Conkling, president of Dialysis Patient Citizens Board of Directors, commented on the new training course. “Community health workers are an untapped resource in the fight against kidney disease. DPC believes strongly that providing this workforce with training in kidney failure can dramatically reduce and slow the progression of kidney disease. This training will empower individuals to better care for their health, learn about treatment options and provide family members with the knowledge needed to support their loved ones. DPC is proud to have spearheaded this initiative.”
Also sharing her thoughts, the chair of Illinois Kidney Care Alliance CHW Task Force and DPC staff member, Elizabeth Lively, said: “Research shows that between 40–60% of dialysis starts in an unplanned or emergency situation. We believe that by providing kidney disease training to community health workers we can reduce the number of emergency dialysis cases and provide patients with the knowledge to understand their treatment options.”
