Hari Shankar Meshram MD, Sanjeev Gulati MD, Sanshriti Chauhan MD, Saurabh Puri MD, Sourabh Sharma MD, Varun Kumar Bandi MD
Introduction: Telenephrology is an emerging but underreported area of practice. This study evaluated nephrologists’ confidence in diagnosing and managing a range of kidney conditions using telenephrology.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between September 2024 and January 2025 among practicing nephrologists in India. The questionnaire included 11 general and 110 condition-specific items. Respondents rated their confidence across clinical scenarios using a Likert scale. A response of moderate, high, or very high (≥60% confidence) was defined as “confident.”
Results: A total of 136 nephrologists from India participated. Of these, 73 (53.7%) used synchronous methods, with half conducting video consultations. The most frequently cited limitations were incomplete clinical examination (115; 84.6%) and medico-legal risks (89; 65.4%). Overall, 11 (44%) of 25 kidney conditions in the naïve diagnostic setting surpassed the confidence threshold. In contrast, only 2 (8%) of 25 conditions in naïve management reached this benchmark, primarily urinary tract infections and early-stage CKD (≤G3a). In chronic dialysis care, confidence was higher for hemodialysis-related complications but notably lower for peritoneal dialysis issues. Follow-up care in general nephrology (97; 71.3%) and kidney transplant recipients (103; 75.7%) exceeded the threshold in several scenarios. Counseling-related tasks reflected the lowest confidence (43; 31.6%). Factors such as pediatric exposure, academic affiliation, years of experience, sector of work, and workload did not significantly affect confidence levels.
Conclusion: This India-focused survey highlights promising confidence in telenephrology for diagnosis and follow-up but underscores the need for targeted improvements in management and counselling applications.
Keywords: Telenephrology, Nephrologists, Survey, Hemodialysis, telemedicine
Article citation: Meshram HS, Gulati S, Chauhan S, Puri S, Sharma S, Bandi VK. A cross-sectional national survey on current practices and patterns in telenephrology among nephrologists. The Southwest Journal of Medicine. 2026;14(59):31–40
From: Department of Nephrology, ILBS, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, India (HSM, SP) Department of Nephrology, Fortis Group, Delhi, India (SG, SC) Department of Nephrology, VMMC Safdarjung, New Delhi, India (SS) Department of Nephrology, Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Medical College, Andhra Pradesh, India (VKB)
Conflicts of interest: none
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