Developing a provisional and national renal disease registry for Iran

BACKGROUND: Disease registry is a database that includes information about people suffering a special kind of disease. The aim of this study was to first identify and compare the National Renal Disease Registry (NRDR) characteristics in some countries with Iran; and second, develop a provisional and NRDR for Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrieval of data of the NRDR was performed by scholars responsible in related agencies, including the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Renal Disease charity, and data registries in the United States, United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Iran. This research was applied, and the study was descriptive-comparative. The study population consisted of the NRDR in selected countries in which data were collected by forms that were designed according to the study objectives. Sources of data were researchers, articles, books, journals, databases, websites, related documents, and people who are active in this regard, and related agencies, including the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and patient support charity. The researchers collected data for each country based on the study objectives and then put them in comparative tables. Data were analyzed by descriptive, comparative, and theoretical methods. RESULTS: Most of the renal transplant teams report their own results as a single center experiences. America and Britain have a preeminent national registry of renal disease compared to other countries. CONCLUSION: Given that control, prevention, and treatment of chronic renal diseases incur high expenses and the disease is one of leading mortality factors in Iran and across the world and since national registry system for chronic renal diseases can provide better tools and strategies to manage and evaluate patients’ characteristics as well as risk factors which eventually leads to making better decisions.