Getting the urine to the lab: time to think outside of the specimen cup.

Abstract

Rucker and colleagues examine the relationship between distance to a nephrologist and the likelihood of seeing a nephrologist. They demonstrate that increasing distance from a nephrologist has a 'protective effect' against seeing a nephrologist and is associated with a greater risk of hospitalization, a longer hospitalization, and a greater mortality risk. Implications of these associations as well as the mechanisms supporting them are explored.