Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing public health problem worldwide. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) has been advocated as a means to detect CKD. In January 2006, community laboratories in Ontario, Canada, began to report eGFR values along with every serum creatinine result. The present study sought to investigate the impact of eGFR reporting on nephrology referrals and patient outcome.
We conducted a retrospective analysis of referrals to an adult general nephrology clinic 24 months before and after eGFR reporting took effect.
eGFR reporting was associated with a significant rise in the number of referrals (1,330-1,496, p = 0.009), a 33% rise in patient waiting time (from 75 to 100 days, p