Utilizing Quality Metrics and Unmet Needs Moving Forward

From a population health and payer perspective, quality metrics are critical for improving CKD screening because they provide measurable benchmarks, identify care gaps, and drive accountability across health systems. Metrics such as rates of eGFR and uACR testing in at-risk populations help ensure early detection and timely intervention, ultimately reducing cardiovascular complications and progression to end-stage renal disease. Beyond metrics, payers can play a proactive role by incentivizing routine screening, supporting care coordination programs, and funding education initiatives for clinicians and patients. Addressing barriers like inaccurate coding requires standardized documentation, clinician training, and integration of CKD-specific prompts in electronic health records. Despite these efforts, significant unmet needs remain, including inconsistent screening in primary care, delayed diagnosis in underserved populations, and limited awareness of CKD risk among patients and providers. Early intervention strategies and system-wide standardization are essential to improve outcomes and reduce the long-term burden of CKD.