Did you know that chronic kidney disease affects 37 million Americans? But the impact isn’t evenly distributed. Minority populations face even greater challenges, including access to diagnostic and treatment services that can help them.
In this blog, we’ll dive into the disparities that affect minority communities and shed light on the underlying reasons. We’ll also discuss actionable steps employers can take to ensure everyone receives the care they deserve.
Race, Ethnicity, and Kidney Disease
These disparities become even more striking when we look at how different racial and ethnic groups are affected. For instance, Black Americans are more likely to experience kidney failure and face a higher likelihood of developing risk factors for End Stage Renal Disease. African Americans have higher rates of obesity (76.3% vs. 68.5%), diabetes (18% vs. 9.6%), and high blood pressure (43.4% vs. 29.1%) than White Americans.
Limited health literacy, the ability to understand and use basic health information for informed decisions, also poses a challenge. A study by the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRC) found that 28% of African American participants had limited health literacy, compared to only 5% of White participants.
This disparity can lead to more hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and serious health events.
Disparities in Access to Healthcare
Access to healthcare may be limited for minority populations compared to other Americans. Research indicates that approximately one-third of Hispanics or Latinos, 20% of Black Americans, and nearly one in three American Indians and Alaska Natives do not have health insurance.
A significant number of individuals from minority communities may not realize they have kidney disease until it has reached an advanced stage. Unfortunately, at this point, it’s often too late to effectively slow down or halt the progression of kidney damage. This underscores the need for early detection and treatment of CKD.
What Can Employers Do?
Kidney disease can affect anyone. Taking a proactive approach that includes educating your employees about the importance of early detection and prevention can lead to better outcomes. Employers can also ensure their employees have access to quality healthcare.
Renalogic’s suite of solutions includes risk identification, care management, member advocacy, and cost containment to help you manage CKD and maintain the health of your employees.
Summary
Chronic kidney disease disproportionally impacts minority communities. Minority populations are at greater risk of kidney failure and face higher CKD risk factors, often with limited access to quality healthcare.
Employers can make a difference by educating their employees about early detection and prevention while ensuring access to care. This proactive approach helps address these disparities and ultimately improves health outcomes for all communities.
Explore Renalogic’s proactive and preventive solutions for CKD management.
