More than one in seven adults in the United States are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD), a condition caused by diabetes, hypertension, or other health conditions that cause severe damage to the kidneys, preventing them from properly filtering blood. Known as a “silent disease,” CKD kills more people each year than breast cancer or prostate cancer and is often under-recognized and under-diagnosed. Upwards of one in three adults with late-stage CKD do not even know they have it, as the disease typically lacks early symptoms making identification difficult until later stages.
Gender and Racial Disparities
Women are at higher risk than men of developing kidney disease, partly due to their higher rates of autoimmune diseases like lupus and arthritis that can damage the kidneys. Complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth, such as pre-eclampsia and hypertensive pregnancy, can increase a woman’s chance of developing CKD. However, studies show that women are less likely to be diagnosed with CKD and receive referrals to nephrologists.
Disparities in kidney care extend beyond gender into race. African American patients with CKD require dialysis and kidney transplants at greater rates than white counterparts and are at higher risk of mortality. Minority groups are often underrepresented in clinical trials—women account for 45% of CKD clinical trial participants on average, while African Americans account for only 9% of participants.
Value-Based Care Models
Within a value-based care (VBC) framework, there is heightened emphasis on patient education, routine monitoring of blood pressure and A1C levels, and strict adherence to prescribed medications. These proactive measures are essential for ensuring CKD is identified and managed at the earliest possible stage. VBC models support personalized, holistic care by addressing medical, behavioral, and social needs. Providers form multidisciplinary teams that collaborate across the care continuum to develop tailored treatment plans customized to each patient’s unique needs.
A key component of VBC models is the ability to aggregate disparate data sources and screen for social determinants of health such as income, housing, food security, and access to appropriate care. VBC models incentivize equitable health outcomes through ongoing patient and population health monitoring, identifying trends among specific populations, and tracking performance metrics including rates of preventative screenings, patient satisfaction scores, and hospital readmissions.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://medcitynews.com/2026/02/closing-the-ckd-care-gap-with-value-based-care-models/