Clinician's Roundtable

Shared decision-making plays a critical role in improving colorectal cancer screening uptake by helping patients navigate emotional, logistical, and personal barriers to care. Joining Dr. Gates Colbert to discuss how individualized, patient-centered conversations can support screening decisions and improve completion rates are Dr. Sarina Schrager and Dr. Lashika Yogendran. Dr. Schrager is a family medicine physician at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, where she focuses on preventative care, women's care, and patient-centered decision-making. Dr. Yogendran is a family medicine physician at UW Health and an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.

Despite strong recommendations for colorectal cancer screening, many eligible patients are still unscreened because of access and convenience issues. Emerging blood-based screening tests may help expand participation, but important questions remain about their ability to detect advanced precursor lesions and how they compare with established screening approaches. Joining Dr. Peter Buch to discuss the evolving role of blood-based colorectal cancer screening and what clinicians should know about these new testing strategies is Dr. Aasma Shaukat. Dr. Shaukat is the Robert M. and Mary H. Glickman Professor of Medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the Director of Outcomes Research in Gastroenterology.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is most effective when it fits seamlessly into busy primary care workflows while still keeping patients engaged in the process. Join Dr. Natalia Usoltseva as she discusses practical ways to improve screening, from simplifying shared decision-making conversations and automating follow-up processes to ensuring patients receive the individualized support they need to stay on track with preventive care. Dr. Usoltseva is a primary care provider at University of Washington Medicine.

Shared decision-making can be difficult to incorporate into already time-constrained primary care visits, especially when discussing colorectal cancer screening (CRC) options with patients. Join Dr. Natalia Usoltseva, a primary care provider at University of Washington Medicine, to hear how her practice implemented standardized decision-making tools to create more efficient, patient-centered conversations and improve colorectal cancer screening adherence.

Colorectal cancer screening (CRC) is one of the most powerful preventive tools in primary care, but disconnected workflows can make it difficult for both clinicians and patients to stay on track. Hear Dr. Natalia Usoltseva, a primary care provider at University of Washington Medicine, talk about how integrating Epic Aura in her organization helped create a more seamless, coordinated approach to FIT-DNA screening, follow-up, and shared decision-making.

Food and nutrition insecurity in chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be difficult to detect, even when patients appear clinically stable. To help highlight this challenge, Dr. Jeanette Andrade presents a case from her research illustrating how social and financial stressors affected a dialysis patient’s dietary intake and food access. Dr. Andrade is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Master’s in Dietetic Internship Program at the University of Florida, and this patient case was part of her presentation at the 2026 National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meeting.

IgA nephropathy is often asymptomatic and frequently identified through incidental lab findings, making timely recognition challenging. Hear Dr. Abdallah Geara discuss key diagnostic strategies that may help optimize long-term care for this disease. Dr. Geara is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and the Clinical Director of the Glomerular Disease Program at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and he spoke at the 2026 National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meeting.

For decades, potassium restriction has been a cornerstone of dietary management in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but is it always necessary? Here to answer that exact question is Dr. Deborah Clegg. Since many patients may already be consuming potassium at restricted levels, she emphasizes the importance of individualized dietary assessment before imposing further limitations. Dr. Clegg is the Vice President for Research and a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso.

Not all potassium is created equal, especially in the context of chronic kidney disease (CKD). That’s why Dr. Deborah Clegg joins us to explore the key differences between potassium from whole foods and additives, emphasizing how bioavailability impacts serum potassium levels and hyperkalemia risk. She also examines how kidney function, comorbidities, medications, and metabolic factors all influence potassium tolerance. Not only is Dr. Clegg the Vice President for Research and a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, but she also spoke about this topic at the 2026 National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meeting.

Early diagnosis is critical in IgA nephropathy, as most patients present with established kidney damage by the time they are identified. Tune in to hear Dr. Abdallah Geara highlight the importance of timely recognition and how emerging therapies are transforming treatment and improving patient outcomes when implemented early.