[Are there differences in the treatment of kidney patients if they are admitted to general medicine vs nephrology units? No, provided the departmental system is well organized].

Patients with acute renal disease are mostly admitted to the units of internal medicine and nephrology present in the medium-sized hospitals that constitute the bulk of the Italian hospital network. The needs of increasingly elderly patients with chronic conditions and comorbidities warrant a comprehensive approach and continuity of health care along with a high level of specialist expertise. The new models that integrate the specialties within the department of medicine and the new organizational structure of the hospital based on progressive patient care can achieve these objectives by ensuring both the development of the specialties and the overall effectiveness of the system.