Workstreams

The Measurement Workstream worked to develop a national database of all episodes of AKI treated by the NHS in England, held at the UK Renal Registry – the Master Patient Index (MPI). This will allow the NHS to accurately measure the scale and severity of AKI, with information about recovery from AKI as well as mortality. Importantly, the Measurement Workstream has designed an analysis plan to give a complete picture about AKI in England; how incidence and outcomes vary across populations, geographies and hospitals, where patients are treated and where AKI is first detected, and how renal function before an episode of AKI affects outcomes. The Workstream has been supported by the UKRR in its aim of collecting data from all NHS trusts in England, creating a portal at the UKRR for data receipt and working with NHS laboratories to ensure that data can be transferred seamlessly from laboratory information management systems to the MPI. We are progressing links with other NHS databases (e.g. Hospital Episode Statistics) which increases the value of the information collected in the MPI. In the future, the MPI will be a valuable tool for quality improvement and research to improve outcomes for NHS patients who have AKI and is a great legacy from the Think Kidneys programme.

The following summary details the progress of the Measurement Workstream over the past two years and defines the work for phase two.

Following the Patient Safety Alert in June 2014 pathology laboratories were required to implement
the new algorithm for the detection of AKI warning stage test results into their laboratory information management systems by March 2015, and to report their results to the UK Renal Registry.

The Measurement Workstream was established to develop the collection and analysis of data from the labs and to establish a data set to be collected automatically develop systems to publish demographic information demonstrating the size of the AKI problem understand demographic information requirements to demonstrate the size of the ‘at risk’ group understand the consequences of measuring incidence of acute kidney injury and its impact on individuals, organisations and communities.

Results to date and more information can be found in the Think Kidneys National AKI Programme – Review and Evaluation Report