A systematic review on screening initiatives for chronic conditions in Indigenous Peoples

Abstract

First Nations communities in Manitoba suffer the highest rates of kidney failure requiring dialysis in Canada. Effective therapies do exist to prevent progression to dialysis, but require identification of kidney disease in its early stages. Currently, there is no funded screening program for kidney disease in Manitoba. We believe that active screening of kidney disease in high‐risk populations can improve patient outcomes and reduce the downstream costs of dialysis. This project seeks to demonstrate that in high‐risk populations such as Manitoba First Nations, active community based screening programs conducted by mobile screening teams using modern and efficient risk assessment tools are feasible, affordable, and lead to improved kidney care. The purpose is to establish a viable long‐term kidney disease screening and treatment program in order to reduce the unnecessary burden of kidney failure requiring dialysis in First Nations communities.