The role of an out-patient renal clinic in renal disease management

The out-patient renal clinic (ORC) represents an important part of the nephrology service in general hospitals. The majority of renal diseases are chronic and patients need a systematic follow-up according to the severity and progression of kidney failure. The most important clinical manifestation is chronic renal failure (CRF) or chronic renal disease (CKD) The management of CKD, apart from medical and nursing services, also involves a number of community structures and financial resources. CRF treatment is costly and is a serious problem for the health systems in the western world. Effective treatment in the early stages aims to decrease the progression of kidney damage and, therefore, to prolong kidney function. Patients with renal failure can be managed as out-patients. The increased number of patients and the complexity of kidney diseases demand the collaboration of other out-patient clinics. The ORC may play an important role in this process. In this article. we present a literature review of the role of ORCs in the management of renal diseases around the world and we also present data based on our experience in our ORC.