All Quality Improvement Activities (QIAs) led by the Network incorporate the following six attributes, as directed by CMS, to support and improve QIA initiatives. The six attributes are:
-
Rapid Cycle Improvement:The Network regularly assesses the value of interventions and technical assistance used our QIAs. Interim adjustments are made based on feedback received from participating facility staff and patients/family members/care partners as well as from ongoing monitoring of performance.
-
Customer Focus:Patients representing the diversity of the population in the Network’s service area, as well as other stakeholders, are involved in all aspects of Network QIAs. This “customer” input helps to shape the design and the ongoing operations of activities.
-
Ability to prepare the field to Sustain the Improvement: The Network provides a framework and education for participating facility staff that will support them insustaining or continuing improvement once the formal Network QIA is completed.
-
Valued placed on Innovation: The Network encourages ideas and suggestions from the community we serve, and we strive to create an environment that nurtures and promotes suggestions that would enhance the value of our work with the facilities in our service area. In this way we solicit and/or create of new ideas that maximize improvement.
-
Commitment to Boundarilessness: The Network strives to identify and engage all members of the care team, patients, care partners and other representatives of stakeholder that can contribution to the success of QIAs. .
-
Unconditional Teamwork: The Network is committed to work with all stakeholders to share best practices and spread effective improvement activities.
The Network encourages dialysis facility staff members to incorporate these attributes in all aspects of your day to day practices. Commitment to activities that support these attributes will help identify gaps in care, assist in engaging patients to embrace change, and achieve improvement goals.