Table 2.

Examples of Selected Can-SOLVE CKD Research Projects.

Project	Lead(s)	Issue	Research plan
1.1B: Identifying diabetes and chronic kidney disease in Indigenous communities	Dr Paul Komenda Dr Adeera Levin	Indigenous people in Canada are at high risk for CKD and progression to end-stage kidney disease. Current evidence shows Indigenous people progress to end-stage kidney disease 10 years earlier than non-Indigenous people. If CKD is detected early, progression can be delayed through earlier treatment. However, as many Indigenous people live in rural and remote communities, they face additional barriers to accessing appropriate screening, detection, and treatment.	This project will address inequities in access to CKD and diabetes diagnosis and treatment among Indigenous people across Canada, which is one of the top research priorities identified by patients and stakeholders. It has the potential to fundamentally change health care delivery for Indigenous Canadians living in remote communities who are at very high risk of diabetes and CKD. The experienced project team, based at the University of Manitoba, has piloted point-of-care screening in Manitoba Indigenous communities. They will apply their screening strategy to communities in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and other areas within Manitoba. The goal is to screen 4000 individuals.
3.3B: Increasing the use of living donor kidney transplantation	Dr Amit X. Garg	Despite the advantages of kidney transplantation over dialysis (ie, improved survival and quality of life, substantial savings to the health care system), only about 40% of Canadians with end-stage renal disease are treated with a kidney transplant. The best way to improve access to kidney transplantation is unknown. There are too few deceased donors to meet the demand for kidneys, and while transplants from living donors offer many advantages (eg, superior graft and patient survival, shorter wait times, lower health care costs), Canada’s rate of living kidney donation has stagnated since 2006 and is 35% lower than several Western nations.	Informed by our patient partners, we aim to improve the quality and efficiency of the donor candidate evaluation process throughout Canada. We will measure current processes, develop national consensus on the goals of an efficient evaluation process, and develop and test solutions to realize these goals. A second priority is to evaluate a multicomponent strategy launched in Ontario to support patients to improve their access to kidney transplantation with a focus on living kidney donation. This strategy includes administrative support to programs and providers, a patient-centered approach to transplant education and choice, and peer mentorship. The lessons learned will inform future initiatives in other provinces. If this multicomponent strategy is effective, it will result in improved access to kidney transplantation, better patient outcomes, and significant health care system savings. Moreover, if we see an increase in kidney transplant referrals in the multicomponent intervention, this will provide evidence to support the need for government spending on strategies to improve access to kidney transplantation.

Note. Can-SOLVE CKD = Canadians Seeking Solutions and Innovations to Overcome Chronic Kidney Disease; CKD = chronic kidney disease.