Use of a state data bank to measure incidence and prevalence of a chronic disease: End-stage renal failure

The Western Australian Health Services Research Linked Database was used to examine trends in the incidence rate and prevalence of end-stage renal fai lure and to describe treatment patterns in these patients. Linked hospital morbidity and mortality records from 1980 to 1994 were selected if a record had a principal diagnosis or procedure of chronic renal failure, dialysis, or renal transplantation. Patient records were grouped according to the st age of care (predialysis, dialysis, transplant, or death), A total of 1,046 patients with a principal diagnosis or procedure that met our criteria for end-stage renal failure was admitted to the hospital from 1985 to 1994, Tr ends in the incidence rate and prevalence of end-stage renal failure by sex and racer patterns of care, indices of comorbidity, and waiting time to tr ansplantation were calculated, Results showed that both the incidence rate and prevalence of end-stage renal failure increased from 1986 to 1994, most noticeably in the aboriginal population. Rates of renal failure in 1994 we re 15 times greater in aborigines than in nonaborigines. Of the hospital pa tients, 73.5% received dialysis three times a week. Complications associate d with dialysis treatment were the most common cause of comorbid hospitaliz ation. The mean waiting time to transplantation was 503 days for those who had a transplant and 6.3 years for all patients, The escalating numbers of patients undergoing renal dialysis, the high cost of maintaining them an di alysis, and the additional use of hospital services for comorbid conditions highlight the need to develop programs to prevent the occurrence of renal failure, particularly in the aboriginal population. (C) 1999 by the Nationa l Kidney Foundation, Inc.