Project Summary

The APPROACH project is improving decision-making for people living with both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease.  

By developing a personalized decision aid, the project helps patients and care providers weigh the benefits and risks of heart procedures based on individual health factors and patient values. Through collaboration with patients, clinicians, and underserved communities, the project aims to support shared decision-making and improve care pathways and health outcomes for diverse populations. 

Why This Work Matters 

The APPROACH project helps people living with CKD make informed decisions about heart procedures that carry unique risks to their kidney health. By using a personalized, evidence-based decision aid co-developed with patients and clinicians, care teams can align treatment choices with what matters most to each individual.  

This low-cost, scalable tool improves patient experience, enhances provider communication, reduces unnecessary procedures, and supports more equitable, patient-centred cardiac care across Canada. 

Project Objectives 

• Pilot and evaluate the My Heart Care and CKD Decision Aid in five centres across Canada to support shared decision-making for heart care in people with kidney disease. 

• Assess the decision aid’s feasibility, acceptability, and impact on patient knowledge, decisional conflict, communication, and care satisfaction in real-world clinical settings. 

• Advance equitable, culturally safe care by working with Indigenous partners, women, and underserved communities to ensure the tool is accessible, inclusive, and meaningful. 

• Improve patient-centred decision-making by helping patients and care providers weigh personalized risks and benefits and make informed, values-based choices. 

• Generate evidence to inform policy and best practices in Canada and beyond on integrating shared decision-making tools into cardiac care for people with kidney disease. 

Recent Activities & Progress (2024-25)

• Refined the My Heart Care and CKD Decision Aid through patient and physician workshops, including simulated clinical encounters to improve usability and workflow. 

• Strengthened patient engagement by filming patient partner stories to support training and promote shared decision-making. 

• Completed external validation of the decision aid’s risk models using patient data from British Columbia and Alberta. 

• Collaborated with Indigenous partners and G4 Health to ensure culturally safe, patient-centred implementation. 

• Shared research findings through conference presentations and submitted two manuscripts for publication.