Patient Adisory Committee (PAC) Meeting 2024

The PAC consists of local and national community members who represent a variety of backgrounds, experiences with kidney disease, interests, ethnicities, genders, and ages. As advocates for kidney research and patient care, the PAC continuously provides productive feedback to investigators and other nephrology professionals to improve the communication between patients and doctors.

Agenda

Welcome / PAC Introductions
Glenda Roberts, PAC Member, Transplant Recipient

Opening Remarks
Ian de Boer, M.D., Director of KRI, Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology

Curtis Warfield, PAC Member, Mentor, Volunteer, and Transplant Recipient - “Patient Perspective: The Unintended Journey”

Justin Bullock, M.D., Clinical Researcher, Nephrology Fellow, Division of UW Nephrology - “Safe to Be Me: Implications of Identity Safety Across the Medical Educational Continuum”

“There is extensive literature on the impact of identity threats in the learning environment on both patients and providers. The notion of safety is not well described. Identity safety in medical training describes the experience of feeling safe to exist as one's authentic self. The construct of identity safety may challenge conventional understandings of power dynamics in medicine and may explain why identity concordant care leads to improved patient outcomes.”

Anna Zemke, M.D., Clinical Researcher, Nephrology Fellow, Division of UW Nephrology - “Improving our Understanding of Chronic Kidney Disease Incidence and Outcomes in American Indian and Alaska Native Populations”

“American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) individuals experience significant health inequities including chronic kidney disease and kidney failure when compared with other Americans. In this talk I will discuss the context of these inequities and our initial project (hopefully one of many) aimed at predicting and addressing adverse kidney outcomes in this population.”

Elizabeth Kiernan, M.D., Clinical Researcher, Nephrology Fellow, Division of UW Nephrology - “Subtypes of Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Patients: Working Toward Personalized Care"

“Our work used blood markers to distinguish between types of acute kidney injury in a population of clinical trial participants who were critically ill with sepsis, with the intention of understanding the mechanisms, outcomes and responses to treatment that distinguish groups.”

Leila Zelnick, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of UW Nephrology - “The KRI Registry: Past, Present and F-YOU-ture”

 “Since 2010, the KRI Registry has offered a way for patients to become involved in research at the KRI, and it is now ready for revitalization.   In this talk I will lead a discussion, with PAC members providing advice and feedback on desired use and functionality for the KRI Registry 2.0”

Ann O’Hare, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Division of UW Nephrology - “Long COVID, listening and finding joy in practice”

“A brief overview of a qualitative research project on long COVID, an introduction to a research methodology intended to amplify the patient voice, and (if time) the benefits of active listening.”