World Kidney Day

Celebrated every year on the second Thursday of March, World Kidney Day (WKD) is a global campaign that aims at increasing awareness of the importance of kidney health and reducing the impact of kidney disease and its associated problems worldwide.

This year WKD and the International Women’s Day 2018 are commemorated on the same day, offering us the opportunity to reflect on the importance of women’s health and specifically their kidney health. On its 13th anniversary, World Kidney Day promotes affordable and equitable access to health education, healthcare and prevention for kidney diseases for all women and girls in the world.

According to the WKD website, http://www.worldkidneyday.org/, chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects approximately 195 million women worldwide and it is currently the 8th leading cause of death in women, with close to 600,000 deaths each year.

Healthcare professionals are encouraged to share key objectives of the WKD campaign, which include:

Raise awareness about how diabetes and high blood pressure are risk factors for kidney health, and encourage preventive behaviors,
Educate all medical professionals about their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of CKD, and
Encourage transplantation as a best-outcome option for kidney failure, and the act of organ donation as a life-saving initiative.

To download 2018 campaign materials, got to http://www.worldkidneyday.org/2018-campaign

March 14, 2018

How Can Dialysis Facilities Benefit from the Health Information Exchange (HIE)?

Information on infections identified in the hospital setting and reported in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), is not easily obtained by dialysis providers. Access to these data can improve surveillance of bloodstream infections and patient outcomes. Enrollment in the Health Information Exchange (HIE) can overcome this barrier. A recent article published in Nephrology News & Issues, ” Closing the information gap: Health information exchange in dialysis“, gives an overview of the benefits of HIE and how it provides a vehicle for improving the quality and safety of patient care.

For more information on HIE, go to https://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/health-information-exchange/ .

For information on HIE in your state, go to https://www.healthit.gov/policy-researchers-implementers/state-health-information-exchange-cooperative-agreement-program-key

March 14, 2018

Personnel Update – Action Required

As a Medicare-certified dialysis unit, CMS expects your facility to keep Personnel Details in CROWNWeb up-to-date, within five business days of staff changes, and to review Facility Personnel information at least quarterly. CROWNWeb is the Network’s authoritative source for facility contact information. Accurate personnel information is needed to ensure proper communication among facilities, the ESRD Networks, and CMS. Instructions on how to update the information in the CROWNWeb system can be found in the Facility Personnel Update Guide.

Please continue to review personnel information for your facility in CROWNWeb and make any necessary changes.

March 14, 2018

Attention Providers-CMS-2744 Annual Facility Survey Deadlines Approaching

Finalized annual CMS-2744s are due in just a few weeks. Facilities should submit error free, balanced CMS-2744s no later than March 31, 2018.

If you have any questions please send an email to support@iproesrdnetwork.freshdesk.com.

February 14, 2018

Data Submission in CROWNWeb for Newly Open and Pending Certification Facilities

As of January 1, 2018, new dialysis facilities can access CROWNWeb before becoming certified by their local state survey agency. ESRD Networks now have the capability of setting up a new facility in CROWNWeb prior to a CMS Certification Number (CCN) being established. While the new facility is waiting for certification, facility users/staff can be created in CROWNWeb, and data submission can begin at the facility level.

If a new facility is scheduled to open, please contact the Network as soon as possible to let us know. Timely access to CROWNWeb will ensure compliance with data submission requirements of the End Stage Renal Disease Quality Incentive Program (ESRD QIP).

February 14, 2018

Emergency Preparedness: What to Know and When to Report

Emergencies caused by severe weather or disasters can happen without warning. Transportation barriers, changes in water, loss of power, or access to supplies can critically impact dialysis treatment. Therefore, it is important to be prepared before an emergency occurs. In addition to routine review of disaster plans, resource management, drills, and updating contact numbers and medication records, dialysis facilities are encouraged complete the following action items to ensure continuity of care:

Designate in CROWNWeb a Disaster/Emergency Coordinator for your facility. Be sure to include a cell phone number.
Conduct a Hazards Vulnerability Assessment to determine how and when your facility might be at risk.
Establish a Mutual Aid Agreement with a back-up dialysis provider that will accept your patients if your facility cannot provide access to care.
Annually contact your local Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to communicate patient census and needs of ESRD patient care during an emergency.

Reporting Operational Status to the Network
In an emergency, the Network is required by CMS to work with Federal, State and local government agencies to assist with patient safety and ensure dialysis facilities are prioritized to be open for treatment. Networks are also tasked with tracking the status of facility operations and patient access to care during events. If your facility becomes inoperable or inaccessible due to an emergency, it must be communicated to the Network as soon as possible. This improves the ability of the Network to provide current information to assist patients, the renal community, and emergency management personnel.

For questions about facility emergency preparedness requirements, resource materials, or technical assistance, please contact the Network at 203-387-9332.

February 14, 2018

Understanding the Importance of Vocational Rehabilitation for ESRD Patients

For many years, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and Employment Networks (EN) were thought of as programs for individuals without a disability. Today, more people with disabilities are finding out that is not true and that VR/EN is more than just about employment. In the article titled “Vocational Rehabilitation for People with Disabilities” Gloria K. Lee describes employment as a fundamental right for people with disabilities. She goes on to define VR from an intervention perspective describing the complex process of VR and the different components involved. By reading this article you will understand the importance of assisting ESRD patients in obtaining in VR/EN services to improve their quality of life.

February 14, 2018

Learn New Approaches to Healthcare Improvement Using IHI’s Framework

To support your participation in the Network’s 2018 quality improvement activities (QIAs), we invite you to review the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) Model for Improvement, an approach that IHI uses as the framework to guide improvement work. Developed by Associates in Process Improvement, the Model for Improvement is a simple, yet powerful tool for accelerating improvement. It is not meant to replace change models that organizations may already be using, but rather to accelerate improvement.

Learn about the fundamentals of the Model for Improvement and testing changes on a small scale using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Worksheet is a useful tool for documenting a test of change. The PDSA cycle is shorthand for testing a change by developing a plan to test the change (Plan), carrying out the test (Do), observing and learning from the consequences (Study), and determining what modifications should be made to the test (Act). Additionally, root cause analysis (RCA) is a process widely used by health professionals to learn how and why errors occurred.

To learn more about the Quality Improvement Essentials Toolkit and view all available tools, visit http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/Tools/Quality-Improvement-Essentials-Toolkit.aspx

February 14, 2018

Implementation of the CDC CORE Interventions Saves Lives

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports infection is the second most common cause of death and hospitalization among dialysis patients. Hemodialysis patients have multiple and frequent exposure to healthcare environments undergoing treatment three times per week with direct access to their bloodstream via venipuncture and catheters. Healthcare expenditures for these infections are staggering. Research has shown that the Implementation of the CDC core interventions reduces infections dramatically, saving lives and reducing healthcare costs. Take a minute to review these interventions, by clicking here, to assure your facility is doing everything possible to be safe and save lives.

February 14, 2018

February is National Heart Month

Heart disease can often be prevented by identifying risk factors and making healthy lifestyle choices. Help ESRD patients reduce their risk. Recommend appropriate preventive services, including cardiovascular disease screening tests and intensive behavioral therapy for cardiovascular disease.

For More Information:
Preventive Services Educational Tool
Million Hearts®: Resources to help educate, motivate, and monitor your patients
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Heart Disease website

Visit the Preventive Services website to learn more about Medicare-covered services.

February 14, 2018

Have you Completed your Annual NHSN Dialysis Event Surveillance Training?

The NHSN is an electronic tracking system for healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) that integrates patient and healthcare personnel surveillance systems managed by the CDC. To fulfill the annual NHSN training requirement, at least one NHSN user at each facility must read the Dialysis Event Protocol and subsequently take the online Dialysis Event Surveillance Training before September 30, 2018. By completing the Annual Training and passing the post-training assessment, individuals are eligible to earn continuing education credits (CE), provided they complete this process online.

February 14, 2018

CROWNWeb End Users: Upcoming ESRD QIP Data Validity and Reliability Study

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has contracted with RELI Group to assess the reliability and validity of the Clinical Performance Measure (CPM) data entered into the CROWNWeb system and Dialysis Event data entered into the Center for Disease Control (CDC) NHSN system. RELI will be randomly selecting 335 ESRD facilities to participate in this validation effort. Of those selected, 300 facilities will be sampled to submit records pertaining to CROWNWeb data and 35 facilities will be sampled to submit records pertaining to NHSN data.

If your facility is not selected for validation, there is nothing more to do. If your facility is selected to participate in the validation you will receive a Request Letter via USPS Certified Mail. These requests are scheduled to go out in February 2018. If you are part of a Large Dialysis Organization (LDO), your corporate office may receive your request and contact you for any necessary records.

Please note: you will be required to sign for the letter; if no one is available to sign at the time of delivery, the US Post Office for your area will hold the letter until you are able to retrieve it. In this case, a notice will be left at your facility.

The Request Letter will include:

The list of patients sampled from your facility (maximum of 10)
The list of records you will need to submit
A thorough explanation of the submission process to ensure that all records are submitted to RELI in a secure manner

Facilities that do not respond to this request will receive a 10-point reduction in their End-Stage Renal Disease Quality Incentive Program Total Performance Score (ESRD QIP TPS).

For questions on the Upcoming ESRD QIP Data Validity and Reliability Study, contact Gladys Happi, MSN, RN, CNN, ESRD Clinical Data Lead/Deputy PM at ghappi@hcdi.com.