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Research

As the largest nephrology practice in the country, AKDHC physicians feel that they have an ethical responsibility to participate in Clinical Research. We have a Research Committee consisting of a team of dedicated physicians who participate as Principle and Sub-Investigators. Prior to study start, each of our clinical trials is reviewed by members of this committee and assessed for the value it may offer to our patients in the short term, as well as the long term. Below is more information about Clinical Research at AKDHC.

 What are Clinical Trials and How Do They Work:

  • Clinical trials are research studies that determine the safety and efficacy of medical devices, pharmaceutical medications, and therapies.
  • Clinical trials are performed in stages, and AKDHC specifically conducts stages II-IV.
    • Stage II: The treatment is already proven to be safe from stage I.
    • Stage III: At this point, the treatment is proven to be safe and effective. The purpose of this stage is to determine if the treatment is better than what is on the market now.
    • Stage IV: After stage III, the treatment is already FDA approved. This stage specifically looks at the long-term effects of the treatment and determines if the treatment will help with any other conditions.

What to Expect from a Clinical Trial and Who Can Participate:

  • Eligibility to participate in a Clinical Trial is confirmed during a screening visit. Our Research staff can let you know, based on your current labs, if you qualify to complete a screening visit.
  • During a clinical trial there will be additional oversight of patient labs from the Physician that is overlooking the study (the PI), as well as the patient’s regular nephrologist. Some things to expect during routine Research visits include:
    • Additional labs are drawn and analyzed for the clinical trial. This means lab values are checked more frequently and shared with our nephrologists overseeing the patient’s care.
    • The patient visit will be conducted by a research coordinator and the results from the visit will be overseen by the PI for the study. This means two additional sets of eyes are monitoring patient health in addition to the patient’s primary nephrologist or primary care physician.
  • Stipends are provided for each Research visit to help cover time and travel for participation in clinical trials.
  • The patient will not be billed for any procedures or study medication received during a clinical trial.

Our Research at AKDHC

  • AKDHC Medical Research Services currently has clinical trials available for the following diagnoses:
    • Iron Deficiency Anemia
      • With or without current Epo injections
      • With or without current IV Iron
    • IgA Nephropathy
    • Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
    • Alport Syndrome
    • Diabetic Proteinuria
  • In addition, our team conducts different clinical trials at our dialysis units and device trials at our surgical center.

If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial with AKDHC, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team. They can be reached by speaking with your MA in one of our offices and asking to speak to someone in Research. You may also reach us through our Administrative office by calling 602-997-0484.

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