OBJECTIVES: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a long-term condition that impairs kidney function. Anemia is a common, often undiagnosed, and potentially reversible complication in CKD and is associated with a reduced quality of life, worse renal survival, an increase in morbidity and mortality, and higher costs. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Nephrological Card (NC), a tool developed to improve early diagnosis of CKD and anemia, with a small sample of Italian GPs.

METHODS: The NC online survey was developed by a scientific research team and validated by a scientific committee that included (2) internists, (2) GPs, and (2) nephrologists. The survey consisted of 7 multiple choice and 1 open-ended question and was distributed to 24 selected GPs who had been using the NC in their clinical practice for at least 3 months. Each GP covered around 30,000 patients. Aggregated and anonymized data were collected, and descriptive statistical analysis was performed.

RESULTS: All the respondents considered it vital to include the NC as a standard tool in the management software. 91.7% of the GPs found the NC highly useful for specialist referrals. The results also indicated that the NC was used more than once a week by 41.7 % and once a week by 33.3% of the respondents. When asked about potential NC improvements, only 37.5% of respondents provided suggestions for NC improvement, including the need for a digital version.

CONCLUSIONS: The study results indicated that the NC could aid the early detection and disease management of anemia as a complication of CKD, thus potentially optimizing CKD patient care in Italy.