Table 2.
Characteristics of Participants’ Nephrology Care Stratified by the Provider They Primarily Relied on for Medical Care, Including Chronic Kidney Disease Treatment and Advice
| Characteristics | Overall (n = 453) | Nephrologist (n = 253) | PCP (n = 104) | Other Specialist (n = 14) | All Providers Equally (n = 82) | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years in nephrology care | 3.8 [2.0-6.6] | 4.4 [2.2-6.9] | 4.0 [1.9-6.2] | 3.6 [1.8-6.6] | 3.1 [1.9-5.46] | 0.06 |
| Self-reported frequency of nephrology visits | ||||||
| At least 1×/mo | 19 (4%) | 14 (6%) | 3 (3%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (2%) | |
| At least every 2 mo | 9 (2%) | 4 (2%) | 2 (2%) | 1 (7%) | 2 (2%) | |
| At least every 3 mo | 109 (24%) | 71 (28%) | 13 (13%) | 2 (14%) | 23 (28%) | <0.001 |
| At least every 6 mo | 225 (50%) | 133 (53%) | 48 (46%) | 6 (43%) | 38 (46%) | |
| 1×/y | 66 (15%) | 27 (11%) | 20 (19%) | 4 (29%) | 15 (18%) | |
| When there is a problem | 20 (4%) | 3 (1%) | 15 (14%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (2%) | |
| Do not know | 5 (1%) | 1 (0.4%) | 3 (3%) | 1 (7%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Participant sees PCP | ||||||
| Yes | 450 (99%) | 250 (99%) | 104 (100%) | 14 (100%) | 82 (100%) | 0.50 |
| Participant sees other specialist provider | ||||||
| Yes | 387 (85%) | 227 (90%) | 82 (79%) | 14 (100%) | 64 (78%) | 0.004 |
| No. of completed appointments in past 2 y | ||||||
| Nephrology | 4 [3-5] | 4 [3-6] | 3 [2-5] | 3 [3-5] | 4 [3-5] | <0.001 |
| Primary care | 9 [6-13] | 8 [4-12] | 10 [6-14] | 12 [8-19] | 10 [6-13] | 0.01 |
Note: Values for categorical variables are given as number (percent); values for continuous variables are given as median [interquartile range].
Abbreviation: PCP, primary care provider.