Screenings
UConn KDSAP's main event is the free screenings we hold. In the past, screenings have taken place at the Christ Cathedral Church in Hartford, Covenant Soup Kitchen in Willimantic, and Mansfield Community Center right near UConn in Storrs!
In order to screen individuals for kidney disease, students are trained on the proper procedures for various stations, including how to take blood pressure, body mass index, run a urinalysis test, obtain a blood glucose reading, and interact with individuals to fill out an initial questionnaire. These trainings are conducted under the supervision of a physician and students practice on each other before interacting with participants.
During the screening, a physician is present to take the data gathered by undergraduate students and help the participant interpret the results. Since students are not physicians, they are instructed not to give medical advice. All the information provided to us during the screening is kept confidential and aggregate data is used for internal documentation purposes.
View some pictures from screenings and trainings below to get a feel for what screenings are like!
Third-year pharmacy students next to our mascot at a screening
Interviewing individuals before they proceed to the blood pressure, body mass index, urinalysis, and blood glucose stations for data collection
Collecting body mass index measurements
Taking a participant's blood pressure
A certified nephrologist interacting with a patient about his results
In the closest table, you can see participants being interviewed via a standard questionnaire. The table in the back right is where urinalysis is done to examine urine for abnormal levels of protein, blood, and other substances. The station with the dividers in the back of the room is where body mass index measurements are taken. In the table in the back to the left, students are taking blood glucose measurements. The table near the front and to the left is where blood pressure readings are obtained. Finally, in the back left, participants are waiting to be called.