Expanding Kidney Care: How Nonphysician Health Workers Can Address the Global CKD Crisis.

The current global nephrology workforce is insufficient to meet the increasing burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure. Nonphysician health workers (NPHWs) may be well-placed to fill the gap and deliver guideline-aligned care. We review the range of NPHW categories and care models that could be enlisted in different health care settings; the range of contributions that could be made for CKD prevention, education, screening, management, and monitoring; the existing and required resources to support NPHWs; and technological advancements that can help alleviate the workload. Through analysis of collaborative approaches and existing alternative care delivery models, we aimed to provide insights into how such programs can be successfully implemented to augment the existing health workforce to deliver effective care and improve outcomes of people with and at risk of developing kidney disease worldwide.