# Improving Outcomes in Kidney Disease Using Systems-Driven Education and Coaching

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $607,412

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 20 million Americans. CKD can lead to end stage renal disease
and is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Early management focused on blood
pressure control decreases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and may ameliorate kidney disease
progression. Yet, less than 40% of patients with CKD achieve recommended blood pressure targets.
There are many barriers to achieving good blood pressure control. One patient-centric barrier we can
target is that many CKD patients do not understand the health implications of CKD or what they need to
do to optimize their health. Thus, promoting patient behaviors to improve outcomes, including blood
pressure control, requires coordinated programs of education and support over time. However, a
sustainable, evidence-based model for this does not exist for CKD. The central hypothesis of this study
is that early patient CKD education combined with health coach support will improve patient behaviors
aligned with blood pressure control by increasing patient knowledge, self-efficacy, and motivation.
These in turn will lead to optimal health behaviors and improved blood pressure control. The long-term
goal of this research is to develop, test, and disseminate sustainable patient-centric education and
coaching support interventions to improve quality and outcomes in CKD. The objective of this proposal
is to test the impact of a pilot-tested, provider-delivered patient education tool, followed with health
coaching focused on blood pressure control. A cluster-randomized controlled trial will compare
outcomes in patients with CKD stages 3-5 between intervention and control groups in primary care
settings. Continuous quality improvement and systems methodologies will be used to optimize resource
neutrality and identify how to leverage existing technology and resources to support implementation
and future dissemination. Involving local partners from a state-wide primary care practice-based
research network will support future transferability and uptake into community settings. This research is
innovative because it represents a new and substantially different approach to addressing an important
public health problem by focusing early in the care continuum to educate patients about CKD and
supporting them in achieving clinical health targets by giving them coach support. Continuous quality
improvement and systems methodologies will reinforce efficiency in the process, which is critical to
future uptake in real-world practice. The proposed research is significant as it will result in a rigorously-
tested, provider-delivered patient education tool and an efficient process for follow up that supports
patients early in the care continuum. The end result will be a streamlined and efficient intervention that
is well-poised for dissemination into community practice settings.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9850577
- **Project number:** 5R01DK115844-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Julie Anne Wright
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $607,412
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-12-26 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9850577

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9850577, Improving Outcomes in Kidney Disease Using Systems-Driven Education and Coaching (5R01DK115844-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9850577. Licensed CC0.

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