CKD-Associated Pruritus: A Patient-Centered Approach to Reduce Symptom Burden

Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) has been shown to have a negative impact on many aspects of patients’ health-related quality of life, as well as clinical outcomes. Despite this, CKD-aP is often underrecognized and underdiagnosed. There are a variety of patient-reported outcome tools that can be used to measure the severity of pruritus symptoms more effectively than conventional medical assessments, as well as capture information on the impact of pruritus on patients’ health-related quality of life. However, these instruments are not often used, leading to the failed identification of unpleasant symptoms, underappreciation of symptom burden, and missed opportunities for treatment. In this perspective, we combine the opinions of key clinicians and stakeholders to emphasize the need for timely and efficient CKD-aP diagnosis and treatment and to show a clear need for a paradigm shift toward a symptom-focused approach to chronic kidney disease and CKD-aP management, as well as providing practical advice on how to implement this in the clinical setting.