Reliability and validity of a risk assessment tool for patients with kidney failure.

Reliable and valid tools are needed to assist nurses to prospectively identify high-risk patients with kidney failure. Early identification of high-risk patients permits targeting of nursing interventions and resources to improve quality and cost outcomes. A 16-item risk assessment tool Risk for Outcomes Adverse to Dialysis (ROAD), was developed based on a comprehensive review of the literature on risk factors associated with adverse outcomes with kidney failure Reliability and validity of the ROAD was tested on a random sample of 253 participants in the Anemia Management Demonstration Project. High risk scores on the ROAD were significantly associated with hospitalization 1 to 6 months following risk assessment and inversely correlated with physical and mental components of quality of life. The results indicate that the ROAD provides a useful tool to identify patients on hemodialysis at risk of poor outcomes.