active Assessment
Virtual Solutions for Chronic Kidney Disease Management
Evidence Protocol Published
Last Updated
October 16, 2025
Conditions
Chronic Kidney Disease
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PHTI is assessing the clinical and economic impact of virtual solutions for chronic kidney disease (CKD) management.
Area overview
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition in which the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter waste and fluid from the blood. It affects more than 35 million adults in the United States, and its prevalence increases with age: 34% of adults 65+ have CKD, compared to 12% of those aged 45-64 and 6% of those 18-44. CKD is a frequent complication from diabetes and hypertension that can progress to kidney failure, requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant to replace lost organ function.
Virtual solutions for CKD often offer treatment planning, patient monitoring, and education, while connecting patients with networks of advanced practice clinicians, dietitians, and social workers. Many platforms also provide predictive analytics to flag at-risk patients.
PHTI is assessing virtual CKD solutions to determine their clinical effectiveness and budget impact.
Why assess virtual solutions for chronic kidney disease management?
- CKD affects approximately 35.5 million (14%) adults in the United States.
- Approximately 9 in 10 adults with CKD do not know they have it.
- In 2022, expenditures for CKD patients accounted for a quarter of total Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) spending, totaling $95.7 billion. This does not include $43.3 billion in spending for patients on dialysis across both Medicare FFS and Medicare Advantage.
- CKD is most prevalent among Black adults (20%), compared with 12-14% in white, Asian, and Hispanic adults.
- Since 2015, virtual CKD solutions have attracted more than $3.5 billion in investment.
- Value-based care models, such as the CMS Kidney Care Choices Model, have driven significant interest in kidney disease treatment.
- Providers, patients, payers, and employers are eager to understand the impact of virtual solutions on CKD management.
- Given the burden of disease, effective solutions have the potential to improve health outcomes for patients and significantly reduce healthcare spending.
Downloads & Resources
October 2025
A systematic literature review of virtual solutions for chronic kidney diseaseInternational prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO), National Institute for Health and Care Research
Read an overview of our assessment Approach and Framework
View assessment framework
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