By creator to azcapitoltimes.com
(Picture by Alex Proimus by way of flickr/Artistic Commons)
Whereas most individuals with COVID-19 expertise gentle signs, dialysis sufferers like me who’ve a weakened immune system are extra weak to critical problems from the extremely contagious virus. Now greater than ever, immunocompromised sufferers with kidney illness should have coordinated medical care to make sure they’re receiving one of the best well being care potential from all of our medical suppliers.
I understand how nicely this works first hand as a result of I’m a part of a coordinated care pilot program. Due to my a number of circumstances, I see a nephrologist, a heart specialist, a major care physician, and a vascular surgeon, amongst others, they usually work very a lot together with each other as a part of this pilot program. My medical doctors work collectively to deal with my total physique as a substitute of 1 symptom at a time. Having a central clearing home has been invaluable to my well being.
As an advocate now for different dialysis sufferers, I’m working to assist guarantee all sufferers with end-stage renal illness (ESRD) have entry to high-quality coordinated care like I do. Underneath the present system, care differs vastly relying on the place a affected person lives. The fact is that look after some dialysis sufferers is a lot better than others.
After my prognosis years in the past, I turned my life-style round, which has helped me handle my care higher. I eat a well-balanced eating regimen, train each day, and I’ve even competed in two Olympic distance triathlon relays, in addition to the Tour Davita, a 3 day, 230 mile biking experience, in assist of a greater well being care system. I contemplate myself fortunate on this regard. However there are various different dialysis sufferers who are suffering from pre-existing circumstances that impression their power ranges, making it harder for them to maintain monitor of all of their varied medical data and prescriptions.
Coordinated care laws would make an amazing distinction within the lives of those dialysis sufferers by giving medical doctors a framework to entry their full medical data. This holistic, targeted strategy would enhance the standard of look after a whole lot of 1000’s of dialysis sufferers.
Congress could make this type of customized care a actuality for sufferers throughout the nation by passing the BETTER Kidney Care Act that may implement a complete care coordination framework. Related laws launched in earlier years garnered widespread bipartisan assist with over 200 sponsors. As Congress continues to handle COVID-19, I might encourage Consultant Greg Stanton to assist care coordination and the BETTER Kidney Care Act to assist defend high-risk dialysis sufferers now and sooner or later.
Jeff Needham
Phoenix
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