The outcome of the urban renal patient: The importance of social factors and center effects

Caring for the urban renal patient can be a challenge to providers for many reasons. Although racial and socioeconomic factors have an impact on the health of this population, one must also consider the effect of the urban environment on the ill, especially those with renal disease. This article reviews the state of health among the poor and nonwhite minorities, who tend to inhabit the urban regions of this country, and then highlights the unique characteristics of those with renal disease. The impact of the Medicare end-stage renal disease (ESRD) program and center-specific quality of care on the outcome of the urban patient with ESRD is explored.