Category: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

COVID-19 Trend Maps Available

The End Stage Renal Disease National Coordinating Center (ESRD NCC), in collaboration with Kidney Community Emergency Response, presents COVID-19 positive case rates among the general population and the ESRD population in maps. Maps are organized by ESRD Network service area and presented in PDF format, both in color and black and white, optimized for printing in grayscale. The ESRD NCC encourages sharing these maps with facilities, transplant centers, and all ESRD patients.

This overview data is meant for general illustrative purposes and should not be construed as the final and most up-to-date detailed analysis, as this includes self-reported data. For the most accurate data related to COVID-19 cases, please go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID Data Tracker webpage at covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_totalcases.

Talk to Your Patients about Mental Health

May is Mental Health Month. Raise awareness by talking about mental health conditions. Recommend appropriate preventive services, including the Initial Preventive Physical Examination, Annual Wellness Visit, and Depression Screening.

For More Information:

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

Making Dialysis Safer for Patients: Optimal Vascular Access

Register now for a free one-hour webinar with continuing education

This World Kidney Day, CDC and the Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition invite you to a webinar presenting the infection risks associated with different vascular access types. Discussion will include strategies and recommendations for successful catheter reduction to prevent bloodstream infections.

Webinar: Making Dialysis Safer for Patients: Optimal Vascular Access
Date: Thursday, March 14, 2019
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT
Registration:  Click Here to Register (at no cost)

Join us this World Kidney Day for a presentation on “Incident Vascular Access and Risk of Bloodstream Infection Among New ESRD Patients Receiving Hemodialysis” followed by a conversation about achieving optimal vascular access for patient safety.

Featured Speakers:
Sophia Kazakova, MD, MPH, PhD; Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, CDC.

Discussants:
• Vandana Dua Niyyar, MD, FASN, FNKF, FASDIN; Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Emory University.
• Tracy Jonelis, MD; Chief of Nephrology, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, San Francisco Medical Center

Moderators:
Priti Patel, MD, MPH and Ibironke Apata, MD; Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, CDC.

Continuing Education: Accredited for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, certified health educators, public health professionals and other health professions.

Audio: Please note the audio for this webinar will come through your computer speakers. During the webinar, please ensure that your speakers are turned on and the volume is up. Thank you.

 

NHSN Training

Required Annual Training: The Dialysis Event Module annual training has been updated and moved to a new platform called CDC TRAIN. Self-paced training and post-assessment will remain the same as the previous version, but the CDC TRAIN platform requires you to register with the site, and allows you to save your training certificates after completion. NHSN recommends that all users take this training, but at least one user per facility is required to take and pass this training annually. Find the training course and instruction guide at https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/dialysis/event/index.html. Email NHSN@cdc.gov with “Dialysis” in the subject line with any questions.

Training Needs Assessment: In taking the NHSN Dialysis Event Module Training Needs Assessment, some users experienced a system error which only permitted them to complete the Demographics section of the survey. If you experienced this, please retake the Assessment, at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DialysisEventTNA. NHSN apologizes for the inconvenience and truly values your input. If you have not taken the Assessment yet, please do, to help NHSN better understand training needs for the Dialysis Event Module. The Assessment will remain open until May 31, 2019.

NHSN Dialysis Event Module Annual Training Update

The Dialysis Event Module annual training has been updated and moved to a new platform called CDC TRAIN. The content of the self-paced training and post-assessment will remain the same as the previous version; however, the CDC TRAIN platform requires each user to register with the site, and allows each user to save their training certificates after completion.

As a reminder, we recommend all users take this training, but at least one user per facility is required to take and pass the training annually. Users can access the training course and our instruction guide on our website under “Training” tab at: https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/dialysis/event/index.html

Please contact NHSN@cdc.gov with “Dialysis” in the subject line with any questions.

CDC Webinar on BSI and Incident HD Access

CDC will present a March 14, 2019 World Kidney Day webinar on Incident Vascular Access and Risk of Bloodstream Infection Among New ESRD Patients Receiving Hemodialysis, followed by a conversation about achieving optimal vascular access for patient safety. CME, CNE, CEU, CECH, CPE, and CPH continuing education credits are available. Find more information and register at https://cc.readytalk.com/registration/#/meeting=f8wbng3dtcpm&campaign=vq0d1qix86ac.

NHSN Data Deadline for PY2020 QIP

NHSN has advised that NHSN data for July 1-September 30, 2018 must be submitted and corrected by December 31, 2018 in order to be applied to PY2020 QIP scores. NHSN recommends:

Contact the NHSN Helpdesk at nhsn@cdc.gov with subject line “Dialysis” if you have any questions.

The NHSN software was updated to Version 9.2 on December 8, 2018, with many additions and changes, including analysis updates. Please carefully review pages 1 and 7-8 of the Version 9.2 release notes at https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/nwrn.org/files/NHSN/NHSN9.2.pdf for important details about these changes. To use any of the new analysis output options you must first Regenerate Datasets. Send any questions to the NHSN Helpdesk at NHSN@cdc.gov.

Great American Smokeout® – November 15, 2018

“About 36.5 million Americans still smoke cigarettes, and tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the world,” as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Every year on the third Thursday of November, smokers across the nation take part in the American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout.

The Great American Smokeout is an opportunity for smokers to commit to healthy, smoke-free lives; not just for a day, but year round. Individuals, community groups, businesses, healthcare providers, and others can use this event to encourage people to make a plan to quit, or initiate a smoking cessation plan on the day of the event. The event also promotes the many tools and resources available through the American Cancer Society that people can use to help them quit and “stay quit.”

To learn about the available tools, click on the links below or call 1-800-227-2345.

The CMS ESRD QIP NHSN Reporting Measure Deadline and Data Quality Checks

Reporting to NHSN for the CMS ESRD QIP rule:

Facilities must follow NHSN Dialysis Event Surveillance Protocol and Reporting for calendar year 2018 (payment year 2020) for compliance with the ESRD QIP. The quarterly reporting deadline for April – June 2018 data is on or before September 30, 2018.

Data Quality Checks: 

NHSN data should be completely and accurately reported according to the Dialysis Event Protocol. Determining whether or not the data are correct is your facility’s responsibility. Data quality checks should be performed before the data submission deadline for the quarter. For example, for April to June data, quality checks should be performed by September 30. For more information on how to perform data quality checks, please go to https://iproesrdnetwork.freshdesk.com/solution/articles/9000153404-how-to-perform-data-quality-checks- or https://iproesrdnetwork.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/folders/9000169529

Learn the Signs of Sepsis

According to the CDC, more than 1.5 million people in the United States get sepsis every year. More than 250, 000 Americans die of sepsis each year.  Sepsis is the body’s most extreme reaction to an infection. It is life-threatening, and should be considered a medical emergency. if it not treated in a timely manner and with the appropriate therapies it will lead to organ failure, tissue damage and possibly death.

Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis. Some people are at higher risk of infection and sepsis, including:

  • Adults 65 or older
  • Immunosuppressed populations:
  • People who have chronic conditions
  • Children under one year

Taking the time to learn the symptoms of sepsis can save a life.

There is no single sign or symptom of sepsis. Early signs of sepsis involve a combination of symptoms that can include infection (suspected or confirmed) and* :

  • Confusion or disorientation (the patient that “just isn’t right”)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Fever with or without uncontrollable chilling, “can’t get warm”
  • Extreme pain or discomfort
  • Clammy and sweating skin.
  • Patient will often voice that “something is wrong:”

*People with sepsis typically have more than one of these symptoms.

Any individual with this combination of symptoms requires an immediate assessment at an emergency department for evaluation and appropriate treatment. The required treatment cannot be provided in an outpatient ambulatory clinic.

For more resources for staff and patient education please visit the CDC website. https://www.cdc.gov.sepsis

CDC Extends Deadline for NHSN Agreement to Participate and Consent Form to June 15, 2018

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has extended the deadline for completing the online National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Agreement to Participate and Consent form, referred to as the Consent in this announcement. The new deadline for completing the Consent, June 15, 2018, applies to ALL facilities reporting data to NHSN including those for the following Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) programs:

  • Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program
  • Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program
  • Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program
  • Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting Program
  • End Stage Renal Disease Quality Incentive Program
  • Long Term Care Hospital Quality Reporting Program
  • Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Quality Reporting Program

The Consent is accessible to only the NHSN Facility Administrator or Primary Contact user. The new deadline provides additional time for each facility’s NHSN Facility Administrator or Primary Contact to complete the online Consent and avoid any interruptions in access to the NHSN application, including access for purposes of submitting data to meet local, state, or federal reporting requirements. If the Consent is not completed by the new deadline, access to NHSN will be temporarily suspended. Additionally, users will receive an error message when they attempt to log into NHSN, redirecting them to the Facility Administrator or Primary Contact.

CMS quality reporting deadlines for NHSN measure reporting are not affected by this extension.

NHSN provides assistance to address any questions or concerns you may have regarding the Consent process. For more information on how to complete the NHSN Agreement to Participate and Consent process, please visit, https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/about-nhsn/faq-agreement-to-participate.html. You may also direct questions to NHSN@cdc.gov.

NHSN Dialysis Event Surveillance Training Webinars

The CDC National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Dialysis Team will provide live webinars in May for new or experienced NHSN users. CDC subject matter experts will be available to answer your questions about NHSN Dialysis Event Surveillance.

Introduction to the NHSN Dialysis Event Surveillance Protocol: NHSN Dialysis Event Surveillance reporting is required for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Quality Incentive Program (QIP) rule. This session will provide a complete introduction to the NHSN Dialysis Event reporting requirements and the surveillance definitions necessary to complete accurate monthly reporting.

Advanced NHSN Dialysis Event Surveillance Reporting and Introduction to NHSN Reports: Learn how to apply NHSN Dialysis Event Surveillance definitions through case studies that address common reporting questions. The session also will include an introduction to running and interpreting the most popular NHSN reports so you can review your facility’s data, including Dialysis Event bloodstream infection rates.