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Clinical Trials in Kidney Failure - CKD and Dialysis Innovation
Dr. Charmaine Lok is the medical director of both the chronic kidney diseases and hemodialysis programs at the University Health Network - Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Canada. In addition to her faculty positions at the University of Toronto, Dr. Lok is also associated with the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact (HEI), Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University. She is active in raising awareness of CKD and ESKD and its importance in population health. Dr. Lok is the current chair of the NKF-KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline for Vascular Access Update and has served as program chair of the NKF 2013 Spring Clinical Meetings. She is also involved in a variety of other local and international scientific and educational programs through CIHR, KFOC, DOPPS, NKF, ASN, VASA, ASDIN, and Kidney CARE Network International.
About Us
Hemodialysis is life-sustaining therapy for many patients with chronic kidney disease, but choosing how to access a patient’s blood for treatment presents pros and cons, depending on their situation. “We have seen that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to medicine, and for hemodialysis vascular access, does not necessarily work for all,” says Dr. Lok. “This approach can result in increased morbidity and brings costs, both to the patient’s health and to the health care system.” Dr. Lok says that each patient faces a unique set of challenges, and therefore a population approach to vascular access care is not always suitable for the individual patient’s needs.
“Patients have different issues that affect dialysis care that we need to take into account, such as the number and severity of any comorbidities, their functional abilities, social support, and their personal preferences for kidney replacement therapy and dialysis access. “We need to do research to evaluate the impact of an individualized approach to vascular access care to fully understand its health outcomes, cost, patient satisfaction, and quality of life.”