title: National kidney dialysis and transplant registries in Latin America: how to implement and improve them.
abstract: The Strategic Plan of the Pan American Health Organization, 2014-2019, Championing Health: Sustainable Development and Equityrecognizes that "Chronic kidney disease, caused mainly by complications of diabetes and hypertension, has increased in the Region." This Plan includes the first concrete goal on chronic kidney disease: to achieve a prevalence rate for renal replacement therapy of at least 700 patients per million population by 2019. National dialysis and transplant registries (DTR) are a useful tool for epidemiological research, health care planning, and quality improvement. Their success depends on the quality of their data and quality control procedures. This article describes the current situation of national DTRs in the Region and the content of their information and health indicators, and it offers recommendations for creating and maintaining them. It points to their heterogeneity or absence in some countries, in line with the inequities that patients face in access to renal replacement therapy. The complete lack of information in Caribbean countries prevents their inclusion in this communication, which requires immediate attention.
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Latinoamericana de Nefrología e Hipertensión, , registro@slanh.net.
authors.forename: María Carlota
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: González-Bedat
authors.affiliation: Registro Latinoamericano de Diálisis y Trasplante Renal.
authors.forename: Guillermo Javier
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Rosa-Diez
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Latinoamericana de Nefrología e Hipertensión, , registro@slanh.net.
authors.forename: Juan Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fernández-Cean
authors.affiliation: Prevención y Control de enfermedades crónicas, Organización Panamericana de la Salud, Washington, DC, Estados Unidos de América.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ordúñez
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Latinoamericana de Nefrología e Hipertensión, , registro@slanh.net.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferreiro
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Latinoamericana de Nefrología e Hipertensión, , registro@slanh.net.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Douthat
mesh_terms: D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D006435:Renal Dialysis