Challenges perceived by primary care providers to educating patients about chronic kidney disease

Objective: To identify primary care providers' (PCPs) perceived barriers to educating patients about chronic kidney disease (CKD) during routine clinical visits. Methods: We conducted three focus groups of eighteen PCPs in Baltimore, Maryland (MD), USA. Focus groups began with the presentation of a hypothetical case of a patient with CKD, followed by open-ended questions to assess providers' perceived barriers to delivering education about CKD. Groups were audiotaped, transcribed and coded independently by two investigators who identified major themes. Results: PCPs reported on several patient, provider and system level barriers contributing to poor education about CKD in primary care that were both common and unique to barriers previously reported in educating patients regarding other chronic diseases. Conclusions: Interventions designed to address barriers to CKD education identified by PCPs could improve the delivery of education about CKD in primary care settings.