Multi-hospital Electronic Decision Support for Drug-associated Acute Kidney Injury

Researchers will randomize 38 hospital service clusters to receive either: 1) a Cerner electronic medical record (EMR)-based AKI passive alert which is standard of care at UPMC: this alert provides decision support within the EMR for the diagnosis and basic staging of AKI but without specific recommendations for management (Usual Care Arm); or 2) protocolized stage-based intervention delivered to the physician by a pharmacist for consideration and approval. The intervention uses an automated alerting system to identify patients: 1) receiving a high-risk drug or drug combination associated with D-AKI and at low-risk for progression to either stage 2 AKI or stage 3 AKI per KDIGO criteria (Level A) and 2) patients without AKI or stage 1 AKI receiving a high-risk drug or drug combination associated with D-AKI and at high risk for progression to either stage 2 AKI or stage 3 AKI per KDIGO criteria, and patients with AKI stage 2 or stage 3 receiving a high-risk drug or drug combination associated with D-AKI or a medication that requires renal dose adjustment (Level B). This patient specific risk-profile will be coupled with recommendations for medication management and delivered to the physician by a pharmacist for consideration and approval. Additionally, the investigators will assess cost-effectiveness and physicians' perception of the pharmacist-led service.

The primary outcome is Major Adverse Kidney Events within 30 days of randomization (MAKE30), defined as defined as a composite of death, new kidney replacement therapy, or final serum creatinine ≥150% of reference at the earliest of hospital discharge or 30 days from study enrollment, whichever occurs first. Key secondary outcomes include: progression of AKI from time of Level B intervention (first alert generated) to hospital discharge, AKI intensity (duration of AKI by all stages, duration of AKI stage 2, and duration of AKI stage 3), and nephrotoxic burden.

Inclusion criteria

Physician-subject Inclusion

• Physicians employed at UPMC hospital systems
• Attending physicians of record who care for patients across multiple units outside ICU/ED
• Physician cares for 1 or more patient receiving a system alert identifying high-risk for AKI

Patient-subject Inclusion

• System alert identifying risk for AKI
• Patient has attending physician who is participating in the randomized clusters
• After initial patient inclusion, an individual patient will not be eligible for re-inclusion until after 90 days. Re-inclusion will only be allowed if a separate hospital admission/encounter occurs and only starting on day 91

Exclusion criteria

Physician-subject Exclusion

• Physicians of record who only care for ICU or ED patients
• Physicians who primarily provide care for transplant (heart, kidney, liver, etc.) patients
• Physicians who primarily provide consult services only (dermatology, rehabilitation, etc.)

Patient-subject Exclusion

• Patients with end stage renal disease on admission, baseline eGFR <15, comfort measures only, or died before the intervention could be delivered