Informing clinical decision making during a pandemic — a call for better preparedness

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed flaws in the ability of the nephrology community to efficiently inform clinical decision-making. To improve preparedness for the next pandemic, the nephrology community must work more closely to ensure that research efforts are aligned and put in place a strategy for effectively disseminating high-quality evidence in real-time. Uncoordinated research efforts, difficulties in accessing and using data resources, and lack of an adequate evidence dissemination strategy posed challenges in informing clinical decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic. To be better prepared for the next pandemic, the nephrology community must work more closely to ensure that research efforts are organized and well supported with the best available data and a judicious and real-time strategy for disseminating evidence to guide decision-making.