Managing Early-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease: A Qualitative Study of Patients' and Healthcare Professionals' Perspectives.

Early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD), before the initiation of renal replacement therapy represents a critical period for delaying the onset of end-stage kidney failure; however, it remains underexplored. Effective management during this phase requires understanding the lived experiences of those directly involved in care. This study therefore aims to explore the experiences and perspectives of both patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in managing CKD prior to the routine dialysis phase. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with 33 participants. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify key themes. Two themes were identified: (1) Low engagement with early-stage CKD management, encompassing four subthemes-limited recognition of disease progression, inadequate information, role ambiguity, and discordant communication; and (2) Opportunities for improvement, highlighting the value of the partnership model and the provision of personalized advice for patients. Suboptimal early management of CKD is driven by limited awareness, poor information exchange, and unclear professional roles. Strengthening HCP competencies and adopting partnership-based communication from the early-stage of CKD may help to delay disease progression.