Equity in national policies for Australians with kidney disease

Abstract

Objective: To describe how the Australian Government Department of Health policies address equity in the management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: We searched the websites of the Australian Government Department of Health, Kidney Health Australia, Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet and the National Rural Health Alliance for policies using the search terms: kidney, renal and chronic. Results: We included 24 policies that addressed groups of people that experience health inequities: 23 addressed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, 18 rural/remote communities, 12 low socioeconomic status groups, six culturally and linguistically diverse communities and four addressed gender disparities. The scope of the policies ranged from broad national frameworks to subsidised access to health services and medicines. Only two policies explicitly addressed equity for patients with CKD. Conclusion: CKD outcomes are highly variable across population groups yet Australian Government policies that address access to and the experience of care are limited in both number and their attention to equity issues. Implications for public health: In Australia, some groups of people with CKD have a substantially higher risk of mortality and morbidity than the general CKD population. We advocate for the development and implementation of policies to attain equity for people with CKD.