National Kidney Foundation and ASCP Strive to Remove Testing Bias

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF), in collaboration with ASCP and the nation’s leading laboratories and clinical laboratory societies, are working to remove barriers to testing for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this collaboration is to standardize tests used to detect CKD, improve comparability of test results among laboratories, increase early recognition of the disease, and promote patient awareness of the condition. For more information on ASCP’s initiative with NKF and other partners, click here.

As part of the efforts to address kidney disease in marginalized groups facing healthcare disparities, the coordinating task force released a statement on NKF’s website outlining a new race-free equation to diagnose kidney diseases.  The CKD-EPI 2021 eGFR creatinine equation is recommended because a race coefficient is not included in its computation and reporting.  The statement notes that the "task Force employed a holistic approach incorporating input from the medical community and patients to identify an approach that balanced social justice with scientific rigor."  The statement can be accessed here.