Core Outcome Set for Pharmacist-led Interventions in CKD

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive condition characterised by a gradual reduction in kidney function and structure over time. CKD is a risk factor for other morbidity, where it not only increases the likelihood of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, but also can have a detrimental impact on quality of life. Whilst several systematic reviews have demonstrated the benefits of interventions delivered by pharmacists, there is significant variability in terms of the outcomes reported and an inconsistency with the measures used (e.g., medication adherence is often assessed using different outcome measures). The large heterogeneity of outcomes reported and the measures used in randomised controlled trials investigating the impact interventions involving pharmacists have on CKD patients makes it difficult to interpret findings and make comparisons between interventions have. This ultimately affects the quality of research and limits the ability to synthesize evidence, particularly in meta-analyses. Issues around inconsistent outcome reporting could be addressed with the development and application of agreed standardised sets of outcomes. Indeed, the significant range of outcomes in the CKD pharmacy literature led the authors in Raiisi et al., to state that further research is required to establish a core outcome set (COS) in CKD, in relation to pharmacy practice. COS are a collection of outcomes that are standardised and agreed upon, in which as a minimum, they should be measured and reported in all trials for a particular clinical topic. They are of importance as input is provided from a variety of stakeholders such as patients, researchers, family members, carers, and healthcare professionals, in which relevant outcomes are more likely to be identified, as well as helping reduce reporting bias and heterogeneity in the research literature. Currently no pharmacy-specific COS exists for interventions conducted in CKD. Aims The overall objective is