Identifying interventions to optimise advanced kidney care services: scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Multidisciplinary advanced kidney care (AKC) services provide care to patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) (typically estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≤20 mls/min/1.73m2), as symptoms and complications become more common, also in preparation for kidney failure treatments. Despite their prominence in UK renal services, there is no consensus around the best practice for AKC services in terms of care delivery models or interventions to optimise patient care, and there is widespread geographical variation in practice. The UK Kidney Association Kidney Quality Improvement Partnership has launched a 3-year 'Transform AKC' quality improvement project to address unmet needs in AKC services and work towards improvement. This scoping review is part of the Transform AKC project and aims to identify existing evidence for the current and best practice in AKC. The aim of this review is to establish any evidence that demonstrates best practice models of care and interventions to optimise care for adult patients with advanced CKD.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will undertake a scoping review seeking to identify and evaluate evidence that demonstrated best practice for care of adults with advanced CKD. Databases (Medline and Embase) will be searched systematically (search dates from 1 January 2014 to 8 August 2024), and a final list of included studies will be analysed and synthesised.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: We will use robust methodology to identify the existing literature describing the best practices in care of adults with advanced CKD. These findings will directly inform the 'Transform AKC' national quality improvement project, in which this scoping review is embedded. Findings will also be disseminated through national conferences and will be published in a relevant journal.