Elderly predialysis care pathways and early morbidity-mortality upon start of dialysis

ABSTRACT Background The ageing of the population with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) increases the complexity of care pathways. Our aim was to identify subgroups of older people according to predialysis care pathways and describe their association with early morbidity–mortality after transition to dialysis. Methods This study included 22 128 incident dialysis patients aged ≥75 years during 2009–2017 from the French nationwide registry linked to the National Health Data System. Predialysis care pathways were identified by ascending hierarchical classification based on preselected healthcare use indicators in the previous year. Their association with a composite outcome of death or hospitalization ≥50% of the time off dialysis within the first year of dialysis was studied by multivariable logistic regression accounting for demographics, comorbidities, functional status, conditions of dialysis initiation, socioeconomic deprivation index and home-to-dialysis center travel time. Results Five care pathway profiles were identified, characterized by limited healthcare use (Cluster 1, 28%), non-nephrology ambulatory care (Cluster 2, 17%), nephrology ambulatory care (Cluster 3, 37%) and a high level of non-nephrology or nephrology hospitalizations (Clusters 4 and 5, both 9%). Profile subgroups did not differ according to patient age and comorbidities, but Clusters 1, 2 and 4 displayed higher levels of social deprivation. Compared with Cluster 3, the odds ratios of primary composite outcome were significantly increased for Clusters 1, 4 and 5 [odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.16 (1.08–1.25), 1.17 (1.05–1.32) and 1.12 (1.01–1.25), respectively]. Moreover, prolonged hospitalizations were also more common in all groups, compared with Cluster 3. Conclusion Despite a similar comorbidity profile, older people with advanced CKD experience very heterogeneous predialysis care pathways, some of which associated with higher burden of hospitalization after the transition to dialysis.