The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has launched a new animated video series aimed at educating people on their chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk. ‘Kidney Numbers and the CKD Heat Map’ is a new initiative that conveys complex health information while targeting patients with varying levels of health literacy, and is being supported by Bayer.
“Understanding the role of kidney numbers, and how to read and interpret those data, can be complex and difficult to convey to both patients and the general public,” said Joseph Vassalotti, NKF chief medical officer. “Our experts have developed three short and engaging animated videos and a series of CKD heat maps to help explain these complex topics in the simplest terms possible.”
The three short, patient-friendly videos are now available on YouTube in both English and Spanish.
‘Kidney Numbers and the CKD Heat Map’ is intended to give patients from diverse backgrounds the tools they need to better understand how kidney measurements, such as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR), are used to determine overall kidney health, as well as their associated risks for CKD and heart disease.
“Kidney disease is a public health crisis,” added Vassalotti. “We have developed similar public education programmes before, and they have been very well received. These animated educational videos will help us to communicate complex medical terminology in lay terms to help improve patient understanding of risk as well as promote awareness of CKD and the current treatment options available.”
