The Kidney Failure Center

Introduction

The Kidney Failure Center is a collaboration between various people (doctors, nurses, social workers, dieticians) with the aim of informing and advising patients with severe renal failure. Various studies have shown that well informed patients often do not have to start dialysis so soon.

The multidisciplinary renal failure consultation includes an explanation of this. 

Click here to open the brochure Kidney Failure Center.

The renal failure consultation

The aim of the renal failure consultation is to inform the patient and their family about:

• Renal failure
  • What is it?
  • How can we prevent it from getting worse?
  • Diet
  • Warning signals and key points
• Treatment possibilities when the kidneys are no longer managing to clean the blood:
  • The various types of dialysis
  • Kidney transplantation
  • Conservative management
• At this consultation the patient also receives a ‘Kidney file’ in which to collect all information and documents relating to their kidney disease. This also contains a number of resources to, among other things:
  • Monitor the blood pressure and weight
  • Monitor the evolution of the kidney function
  • Keep an overview of medications
  • Keep contact details

Chronic Renal Care Program

A Chronic Renal Care Program is a collaboration agreement between a patient with kidney disease, their family doctor and their nephrologist. 

Patients whose kidney disease has reached a specific level of severity are eligible for this care program. This is then discussed with them by the family doctor or nephrologist. A so-called ‘care program agreement’ is then signed by these people.

Once this care program is approved by the sickness insurance fund, the patient has the right to a number of benefits:

• Fixed reimbursement for an approved blood pressure gauge prescribed by the family doctor
• Advice given by a dietician
• Direct reimbursement for a number of specific medicines (without having to submit a reimbursement application)
• Consultations with the family doctor and nephrologist are fully reimbursed by the healthcare fund for the duration of the care program
• A guarantee that the family doctor and specialist will work closely with each other in terms of the approach to your disease and its treatment and monitoring, tailored to your specific situation.

For more information about the Chronic Renal Care Program, go to: www.zorgtraject.be