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  • Review Article
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Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes

Nature Reviews Nephrology volume 5, pages 650–657 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) is an independent organization with the mission to improve care and outcomes of patients with kidney disease worldwide through the development and coordination of clinical practice guidelines. KDIGO has established firm links with other organizations that have previously produced clinical practice guidelines in the field of kidney disease. The first three KDIGO guidelines—treatment of hepatitis C, management of bone and mineral disease, and care of kidney transplant recipients—have been finalized and the next three—acute kidney injury, management of glomerulonephritis, and management of blood pressure in chronic kidney disease—are under development. The ultimate goal is to cover most major aspects of care for patients with kidney disease. Corner stones of KDIGO's guideline development process are independent, multidisciplinary, international work groups, close collaboration with professional methodology experts who perform systematic evidence reviews, and open public review of each guideline. Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology is applied for grading the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. International conferences organized by KDIGO support the coordination of guideline development, assess the suitability of guideline topics and help to establish global consensus on definitions and policies.

Key Points

  • Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) is an independent not-for-profit organization

  • KDIGO coordinates and conducts the development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines in the field of kidney disease

  • The KDIGO guidelines are developed by international, interdisciplinary work groups

  • KDIGO work groups collaborate with a professional evidence review team for a systematic review of published data in a specific topic area

  • KDIGO work groups use the Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach for grading the quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendations

  • KDIGO guideline drafts are subjected to public review as an integral part of the process

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Figure 1: The development of clinical practice guidelines.
Figure 2: Organizational structure of KDIGO.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are the current co-chairs of KDIGO. They gratefully acknowledge the tremendous support provided to KDIGO by many volunteers, the ground-laying efforts by KDIGO's founding co-chairs, Garabed Eknoyan and Norbert Lameire, the stimulating collaboration with the executive committee, the expertise and dedication of KDIGO staff and members of the evidence review teams, and the financial support of KDIGO's sponsors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany

    Kai-Uwe Eckardt

  2. Division of Nephrology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Bertram L. Kasiske

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Correspondence to Kai-Uwe Eckardt.

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Competing interests

K.-U. Eckardt and B. L. Kasiske are co-chairs of KDIGO.

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Eckardt, KU., Kasiske, B. Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes. Nat Rev Nephrol 5, 650–657 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2009.153

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