Promoting and facilitating high quality care standards for dialysis and kidney transplant patients
in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

Main phone (816) 880-9990
Patient toll free (800) 444-9965
Main fax (816) 880-9088
Data fax (816) 880-1775

7505 NW Tiffany Springs Pky. Suite 230 Kansas City, MO 64153

Hot Topics and Heads Up

Summer 2006 - Let's talk about...Quality Improvement

This issue will focus on continuous quality improvement (CQI) topics. Getting back to the basics will be benefit all of us.

Remember The Institute of Medicines (IOM) Aims for Improvement in Health Care?
It must be -

1. Evidence based
2. Patient centered
3. Outcome improvement driven
4. Systems/team oriented
5. The 6 aims of health care
• Safe
• Effective
• Patient centered
• Timely
• Efficient
• Equitable

Improving Processes

In order to really show improvement in clinical outcomes, processes need to be examined. Many tools are available to assist with process reviews. If you are stuck in this phase, please contact the Network – we can help you!

Benchmarking

• Search for & use best practices, the ones that will lead to superior performance
• Establish operating targets based on the best possible industry (Nephrology/medical) practices
• This is not an improvement methodology, but just one tool used in improvement activities

 

 

 

 

Free Tracking Charts

Did you know that free tracking charts for the clinical performance measures and other quality indicators are available for download on the Heartland Kidney Network website?

The Plan-Do-Check-Cycle, Step by Step.

Cycle Phase	Project Steps
Plan	Select a team Determine current performance (data) Describe & analyze current process Search for root causes (ask "why?") Plan improvement action
Do	Implement improvement action
Check	Evaluate improvement action & progress
Act	Act on results & communicate

How do you get to “wow”? Start with an integrated quality approach and measure what you do!

 

 

 

 

 

Special thanks to ESRD Network 5 for the content. The cartoons were by Technicomp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2008 End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) #12 Network Coordinating Council, Inc. dba Heartland Kidney Network
This resource was (created, developed, compiled, etc.) while under contract with Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Baltimore, Maryland. Contract #HHSM-500-2006-NW012C. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy.