ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Kidney Fund (AKF) today announced new resources to empower people living with and at risk for kidney disease, as well as health care professionals, with the information that will help them have meaningful conversations about kidney health and make health care decisions that meet patients’ unique needs. Developed as part of its Kidney Health for All™ health equity program, the resources are available in English and Spanish and focus on topics such as home dialysis, clinical trials, organ donation and more.   

“Kidney disease impacts people of all races, ethnicities and backgrounds,” said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. “The addition of these new resources to our Kidney Health for All program puts Americans in the driver’s seat of their kidney health by giving them the information they need to help prevent and manage kidney disease. We are thankful to our sponsors for their ongoing support of this program and for sharing our commitment to fighting kidney disease on all fronts.”  

AKF’s Kidney Health for All addresses four areas of kidney health: prevention and awareness, increasing use of home dialysis, diversifying participation in clinical trials and increasing access to transplant. 

Newly available resources include: 

• Empowering Choices: Your guide to making the best dialysis decisions for you: This updated version of the award-winning Home Dialysis Decision Aid tool helps patients understand the dialysis options available to them (including home dialysis), the benefits and challenges of each option and how to choose the best dialysis treatment for them.  

• Talk with your patients about home dialysis: This guide is designed to help health care providers discuss home dialysis with their patients in a culturally sensitive, appropriate and personalized way.  

• Talk with your patients about clinical trials: This guide is meant to help health care providers discuss clinical trials with their patients. It includes questions to ask; tips for sharing the who, what and why of clinical trials and opportunities to check understanding and encourage questions.  

• Talk with your doctor about clinical trials: A companion to the clinical trial guide for providers, this guide includes information for patients on what clinical trials are, why you should join them, questions to ask your doctor and tips to check your understanding, as well as a section to write notes. 

• Get empowered to talk to your doctor: This video featuring AKF Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pranav Garimella is designed to help patients ask important questions of their doctor, from those that are common to some that may be uncomfortable.  

• Organ and Tissue Donation: Myths Debunked. This resource helps patients learn the facts of organ and tissue donation and debunks common myths.  

• Genes to Generation: Know your family’s health history. This guide emphasizes the importance of knowing your family's health history to live a healthier life and to help your doctor understand your risk for kidney disease. The resource provides guidance on how to speak with family members about their health history and creating a family health history chart. 

AKF is grateful to the members of the Health Equity Coalition, established in 2021, which helps guide the development of evidence-based programs and resources for AKF’s patient and professional audiences. 

Since the launch of the program, AKF has developed a number of award-winning resources, including Your Guide to Kidney Transplant and the Home Dialysis Decision Aid. AKF also created a health equity training program, which connects advocates to each other, teaches effective advocacy techniques, helps attendees develop an understanding of health equity impacting people with kidney disease and empowers attendees to advocate for laws, policies and regulations that impact the kidney community.  

AKF is currently wrapping up the second round of its Kidney Health Coach (KHC) Health Equity Grant program, with the third round of awardees underway. The grant program helps expand the reach and impact of KHC by empowering organizations and coaches to reach at-risk communities and spread health messaging in chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevention and management. So far, AKF has awarded 66 coaches and 16 organizations funding to educate and serve the community across the country. 

AKF’s Kidney Health for All program can be viewed at KidneyHealthForAll.org.  

Kidney Health for All is supported by Presenting Sponsors Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly and Company and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Equity Sponsors AstraZeneca, Merck and Co., Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., Sanofi and Travere Therapeutics. 

About the American Kidney Fund  

The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nonprofit with the greatest direct impact on people with kidney disease. AKF works on behalf of the 1 in 7 American adults living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease—from prevention through post-transplant living. AKF fights for kidney health for all through programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy. AKF is one of the nation’s top-rated nonprofits, investing 96 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and it has received 24 consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, formerly known as GuideStar. 

For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with AKF on Facebook, Bluesky, X, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

Nancy Gregory
American Kidney Fund
(240) 292-7077
ngregory@kidneyfund.org