Serving Delaware and Pennsylvania
 
A Bi-Weekly Newsletter for Quality Insights Renal Network 4
stay connected
In This Issue


Alerts and Recalls


Quick links


Welcome to the February 7 issue of the Quality Insights Renal Network 4 e-newsletter. In this issue, we bring you information about NHSN updates, ICH CAHPS reminders, final performance score reports, monthly patient education features, ESRD events, resources and much more. We encourage you to  contact us with any questions, concerns or suggestions.  
NewStudynew study shows Depression is under-treated in patients receiving chronic hemodialysis
Among 101 hemodialysis patients followed for ≥1 year in a Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN) study , 39 met criteria for depression based on monthly questionnaires. These 39 patients had depression on 147 of 373 (39%) monthly assessments. At 70% of these 147 assessments, patients were receiving anti-depressant therapy, and in 51 of 70 (70%) assessments, patients did not accept nurses' recommendations to intensify treatment. At 44 assessments, patients with depression were not receiving anti-depressant therapy, and in 40 instances (91%) did not accept recommendations to start treatment. In 11 of 18 instances (61%) in which patients accepted recommendations, renal providers were unwilling to provide treatment. 
KCERRecruitingKCER is recruiting for the 2017 N-kpfe-lan
The Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) Program is recruiting members for the 2017 National KCER Patient and Family Engagement Learning and Action Network (N-KPFE-LAN). KCER provides disaster preparedness resources to save lives, improve outcomes, empower patients and families, educate healthcare workers, build partnerships with stakeholders, promote readiness in the renal community, and support the ESRD Network Program.

To ensure the patient's voice is incorporated in all activities, the N-KPFE-LAN includes volunteer patients, families, and caregivers. It will focus on topics chosen by the participating patients, families, and caregivers, who will provide a patient perspective for efforts to improve emergency/disaster preparedness and response for the ESRD population.

Dialysis facilities are asked to display informational and volunteer sign-up posters where patients will see them, and distribute them to patients, family members, and caregivers who have shown an interest in emergency and disaster preparedness planning.  View posters in English and Spanish. Submit the sign-up forms to KCER by February 9, 2017. Direct questions regarding this volunteer opportunity to Jerome Bailey at (813) 865-3542.
FeaturedEducation2FACILITY-LED PATIENT EDUCATION TOPIC OF THE MONTH: 
QIP Education and Vascular Access
We will be providing a Network 4 Patient Education Sheet each month in 2017. These documents are also located on our website. Please provide all of your patients with this education sheet this month.   Also, we ask that you please encourage your facility's Patient  Representatives to pass out this educational information as well. 
FeedbackPlease provide us with your feedback on last month's Facility-LED PATIENT EDUCATION
Please take this short survey to let us know what you thought about last month's facility-led patient education topics
CMSReleasesCMS releases esrd qip py2017 final performance score reports 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released ESRD QIP PY 2017 Final Performance Score Reports (PSRs) for outpatient dialysis facilities.  This PSR finalizes your facility's performance, including any revisions from the Preview Period.  In addition, PY 2017 performance and payment-reduction information for all facilities is posted on Dialysis Facility Compare and the ESRD QIP website.  To retrieve your Final PSR and Performance Score Certificates, access your account via QualityNet.  For questions about the Final PSR or the program, contact ESRDQIP@cms.hhs.gov.

NHSNUpdatesnhsn updates
  • Annual Training - To fulfill the annual training requirement, at least one National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) user at each facility must read the Dialysis Event Protocol and take the online Dialysis Event Surveillance Training after January 1, 2017 and before September 30, 2017. By completing the annual training and passing the post-test, you will earn 1.5 CME/ 1.3 CNE/ 0.1 CEUs.
  • Outpatient Dialysis Center Practices Survey - A new version of the Outpatient Dialysis Center Practices Survey will become available on February 1 and must be completed before your facility will be permitted to enter May 2017 Dialysis Event data. The survey will ask questions about your facility's practices during the first week of February 2017. Facilities will not be able to submit a completed survey until after February 7. Administrative users can create a survey by clicking 'Surveys' and 'Add' on the blue navigation panel in NHSN. A paper version of the new survey and a table of instructions can be found under the 'Data Collection Forms and Instructions' tab of the Dialysis Event homepage.

PatientNewsletterlook for a new patient newsletter schedule in 2017
Network 4 will be implementing a quarterly distribution schedule for its patient newsletter in 2017. Look for both English and Spanish editions in March, June, September and December of 2017. 

ReducingInfectionWebinarFree diabetes education classes available for people with medicare who have diabetes 
Quality Insights' Quality Innovation Network - Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) coordinates the Everyone with Diabetes Counts (EDC) program in the states of Delaware, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. These free classes offer people with Medicare an opportunity to learn about the risks associated with diabetes, potential complications, and ways to better manage the disease. To find a class near you, please visit Quality Insights' Quality Innovation Network website.  


CouncilDatesMark your calendars: 2017 network council meeting dates
Quarterly Network Council meetings in 2017 will center around the topics of Patient Engagement and the Patient Representative Program.   Each facility is REQUIRED to have a facility staff representative attend one of the meetings EACH quarter .    

2017 Network Council Meetings Dates Remaining
  • April 11 and 12: Both days at 2 p.m.
  • July 11 and 12: Both days at 2 p.m.
  • October 10 and 11: Both days at 2 p.m.
PennState Penn state college of medicine presents an Update on chronic kidney disease
Penn State College of Medicine, in partnership with The Kidney Foundation of Central PA, Lancaster General Health, Pinnacle Health and Quality Insights Renal Network 4, will be presenting an Update on Chronic Kidney Disease on Tuesday, April 25 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Hotel Hershey in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Network 4's Executive Director, Chris Brown, will be presenting information about CROWNWeb and CMS' Quality Incentive Program (QIP) requirements.  Other sessions to note include the breakout sessions around the topic of Arterial-Venous Fistula Cannulation Camp Techniques. These include Fistula Maturation and Cannulation Readiness; Hands-on Cannulation Skills; and Vascular Access Assessment. Registration prior to April 24 will be $85 per person, which includes meals, handouts and refreshments. Registration after April 24 will be $110. Continuing education credits may be available. Learn more and register today

NANTNant annual meeting approaching this month 
The National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists (NANT) will hold its Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, NV on February 20 - 23. NANT is offering bulk registration discounts to companies that send 5, 10, 20, 30, or more technicians to the NANT Symposium. Send 20 technicians and only pay for 18. Send 30 technicians and only pay for 25. This registration discount includes a 1-year membership to NANT - a $50 value.   Learn more

NKFNKF Spring Clinical Meetings on the Horizon
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) will be holding the Spring Clinical Meetings in Orlando, FL on April 18 through 22. Learn more and register.
ESRDResourcesESRD resources 

Emergency Management Posters Available
Please explore this link to find downloadable posters to help patients prepare for emergency situations that might include no transportation, no facility access, no phones or no power.  
Looking for a Patient Support Group?
Sometimes it's helpful to talk about your journey to kidney health with peers that understand what you're going through. Check out our website periodically for information about local support groups near you, including upcoming meeting dates as they become available. 

Check out the ESRD NCC Information Exchange
The ESRD Network Coordinating Center (NCC) provides centralized coordination and support for the Medicare ESRD Network program. Each month, the ESRD NCC distributes an e-newsletter, known as the Information Exchange, that compiles the most important information from numerous ListServs and publications related to renal health. To sign up to receive this informative newsletter, please contact the ESRD NCC at ncc@ncc.esrd.net or visit the ESRD NCC website

 
Executive Director
Quality Improvement Director
Quality Improvement Coordinator
Quality Improvement Coordinator
Patient Services Coordinator
Data Manager
Administrative Assistant
 
 
610 Freedom Business Center,  
Suite 102 
King of Prussia, PA 19406 
(610) 265-2418 
(800) 548-9205 (patients only) 
(610) 783-0374 (fax) 
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This bi-weekly e-newsletter will serve as our primary method of communicating important news and updates. We encourage you to visit our Web site for the most up-to-date information or to contact us with questions, comments or suggestions.
 
This material was prepared by Quality Insights Renal Network 4 under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The contents do not necessarily reflect CMS policy.

Publication No. ESRD4-012417