December 5, 2024 — Arbor Research Collaborative for Health is proud to announce an innovative collaboration with the Nephrology Associates of Northern Illinois and Indiana (NANI), the largest private nephrology practice in the United States. This partnership marks a significant milestone in advancing chronic kidney disease (CKD) research and management by leveraging NANI’s extensive patient-level clinical data and Arbor Research’s expertise in real-world evidence (RWE) generation.

In the rapidly evolving field of CKD management, the integration of findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) into real-world clinical settings remains a critical challenge. Controlled trial environments often fail to capture the diversity and complexity of routine care, leaving unanswered questions about the real-world effectiveness and safety of novel therapies. This collaboration aims to close that gap by utilizing RWE to optimize CKD management practices and improve patient outcomes.

Through this partnership, Arbor Research will collaborate with NANI, leveraging NANI’s electronic health record (EHR) database, which encompasses data from over 45,000 CKD patients not on dialysis, collected across over 75 CKD clinics and over 200 dialysis units between 2015 and 2024. This dataset includes robust, contemporary insights into:

• Treatment patterns, including initiation and discontinuation of therapies.
• Longitudinal lab results and clinical outcomes such as kidney failure and mortality.
• Demographic and comorbidity data, supporting precision medicine approaches.

This collaboration uniquely combines high-quality data with ongoing input from nephrologists and data specialists, ensuring consistent quality and relevance for impactful research.

Arbor Research’s proven expertise in nephrology, epidemiology, and biostatistics positions it as a leader in translating real-world data into actionable insights. Potential research projects include:

1. Validating RCT Findings: Extending efficacy findings to diverse patient populations.
2. Monitoring Therapeutic Outcomes: Analyzing long-term safety and effectiveness of treatments.
3. Identifying Unmet Needs: Highlighting care disparities and areas for improvement.
4. Supporting Personalized Medicine: Designing targeted strategies to enhance patient care.
5. Tracking Prescribing Trends: Monitoring adoption of guideline-directed medical therapies.
6. Implementing Ancillary Studies: Addressing specific clinical questions through prospective research.

Most notably, this joint research initiative can go beyond the bounds of traditional approaches to retrospective analyses of observational data, ‘closing the loop’ between identifying best practices and implementation science, leading to changes in how nephrologists practice.

About the Partners

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health is a global leader in health outcomes research, specializing in real-world data analysis to improve care for chronic diseases. With over 25 years of experience, Arbor Research advances public health and patient care through innovative clinical research and data-driven insights. The organization excels in health services research, chronic disease management, quality measure development, and the application of advanced analytics. A multidisciplinary team of health economists, clinicians, epidemiologists, and data scientists works collaboratively to deliver impactful findings. Leveraging expertise in data integration, biostatistics, health economics, and data visualization, as well as access to complex datasets, Arbor Research drives discoveries that inform healthcare strategies and improve patient outcomes.

Nephrology Associates of Northern Illinois and Indiana (NANI) is the largest nephrology specialty practice in the United States, offering comprehensive kidney care since 1976. With over 140 providers, including board-certified nephrologists and advanced practice clinicians, NANI delivers high-quality, individualized treatment for kidney disease, hypertension, and related conditions. Dedicated to advancing medical knowledge, NANI conducts high-quality Phase II-IV clinical trials at various locations, focusing on nephrology research to develop new therapies that enhance patients’ quality of life. Serving diverse communities in Chicagoland, Indiana, Ohio, and New Jersey, NANI is committed to providing exceptional, patient-centered kidney care.