The Kidney Information Network (KIN) is a joint venture between patients with chronic kidney disease, clinicians and the University of Salford (led by Dr Cristina Vasilica, Prof Paula Ormandy and Rob Finnigan). KIN was initially set up in Greater Manchester (2013) as ‘The Greater Manchester Kidney Information Network (GMKIN)’. In 2019 this expanded to Cheshire and Merseyside area (CaMKIN).
KIN works to initiate positive social change within the local renal community of patients, who struggle with isolation and access to real life information such as coping mechanisms, expectations, symptoms. The community was built using social media, enabling patients to network, create and share information with each other and with clinicians.