Integrated Health Science Approaches for Early Detection of Chronic Kidney Disease: A Multi-Clinical Model

Abstract

Early detection of chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains a major clinical challenge due to the asymptomatic nature of early disease and the limitations of conventional screening strategies that rely on single-point laboratory measurements. Delayed recognition of CKD contributes to disease progression, increased morbidity, and higher healthcare costs. Integrated health science approaches that combine clinical risk factors, routine laboratory data, and longitudinal assessment of kidney function may enhance early disease identification. This study evaluated the diagnostic performance, generalizability, and clinical effectiveness of an integrated CKD detection approach in comparison with standard screening methods. A multi-clinical, observational design was employed, utilizing routinely collected clinical and laboratory data to assess early-stage CKD detection and time to disease recognition. Diagnostic accuracy metrics were calculated, and performance was compared between approaches across different care settings and patient subgroups. The integrated approach demonstrated higher sensitivity and improved overall diagnostic accuracy for early-stage CKD detection while maintaining comparable specificity relative to standard screening. Diagnostic performance remained consistent across diverse clinical contexts, supporting the generalizability of the approach. Importantly, application of the integrated detection strategy was associated with a marked reduction in time to CKD recognition, indicating improved effectiveness in identifying disease earlier in its clinical course. These findings suggest that integrating longitudinal kidney function trends with clinical information addresses key limitations of conventional screening and reduces delayed diagnosis. In conclusion, integrated health science approaches offer a practical, scalable, and clinically grounded strategy for improving early CKD detection and supporting timely intervention in routine healthcare settings.