Baxter, an American multinational health care company that primarily focuses on products to treat kidney disease, has launched an online resource portal to support patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Indonesia, according to MobiHealthNews.
The ‘My Kidney Journey’ website hosts detailed information on CKD, such as symptoms, causes, and stages, as well as multiple treatment options to manage the condition, including Peritoneal Dialysis at home, in-center dialysis care, and kidney transplant.
The online portal also provides patients, families, and caregivers key insights on how to live well on dialysis, such as overcoming emotional difficulties of diagnosis and demands of treatment.
Baxter claims, “The repository on CKD resources cannot come any sooner as cases of the disease is increasing within APAC.”
In Indonesia alone, CKD has afflicted over 185,000 patients in 2019, with about 69,000 new cases being recorded each year and rising, per the Indonesia Renal Registry.
Nephrologist Dr. Aida Lydia Sutranto of Dr. CiptoMangunkusumo Hospital in Jakarta has said that the lack of information “causes patients to be unprepared for kidney replacement therapy and confused in choosing the appropriate treatment modality.”
The website has been launched in 10 APAC countries and in nine different languages, according to MobiHealthNews.
In July 2020, Japanese pharmaceutical company Otsuka introduced a similar platform called ‘NephU.’ It provides a host of online resources about nephrology conditions, such as video, audio, webinars, and podcasts. The website also connects doctors with one another and with patients so they can collaborate and share information.
Baxter Asia Pacific President Andrew Frye said, “There is no one-size-fits-all model for managing CKD. However, we hope that My Kidney Journey will provide patients with the knowledge and resources they need to plan for a healthy and full life while on dialysis or other CKD treatments.”
“Aside from patients, we hope that this new online portal can be a platform that offers support to caregivers who are supporting their loved ones to adjust to life with CKD and their own personal journey,” he added.
Another online resource portal was recently launched to provide information on osteoporosis. The Asia Pacific Consortium on Osteoporosis designed a 17-module series called ‘Health Care Professional Peer-to-Peer Educational Modules,’ which features a massive educational slide deck comprising 231 slides.
