Table 4.

Association between nephrology care and risk of death, progression to ESRD and combined outcome of death or ESRD among propensity-matched cohort with advanced CKD.

	HR for death (95% CI)	Subdistribution HR for ESRD (95% CI)	HR for death or ESRD (95% CI)
Any nephrology care	0.94 (0.89-0.98)	1.38 (1.28-1.48)	1.02 (0.98-1.06)
Frequency of nephrology care
0 visits	1.00 (reference)	1.00 (reference)	1.00 (reference)
1-2 visits	0.91 (0.87-0.96)	1.02 (0.93-1.13)	0.93 (0.88-0.97)
3-4 visits	0.90 (0.84-0.96)	1.50 (1.36-1.67)	1.02 (0.96-1.08)
≥5 visits	1.09 (1.01-1.18)	2.42 (2.12-2.70)	1.39 (1.30-1.49)

Note: N = 23,784. The model for ESRD accounted for competing risk of death.

Abbreviations: CKD, chronic kidney disease; HR – hazard ratio, CI – confidence interval; ESRD, end-stage renal disease