On November 9, 2020, CMS will incorporate the roles and functionality of its legacy CROWNWeb system into the ESRD Quality Reporting System, EQRS. This rollout will introduce new steps users must follow to submit facilities’ administrative and patients’ treatment-related data directly to CMS. Online EQRS New User Training will be held on October 29, 2020 and repeated on November 4, 2020. Find more information and register for the Training at https://mycrownweb.org/2020/09/nut-oct-2020-announce/.
3RNet, the National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network, is a nonprofit organization that connects health care facilities in rural or underserved areas and health professionals looking for work. They have representatives or “members” in all fifty states, the Mariana Islands, the Veterans Administration, and the Indian Health Service. Find these representatives, and full details about the organization for both facilities and professionals, at https://www.3rnet.org/. The web pages specific to Networks 16 and 18 states are:
The Office of Rural Health at the Washington Department of Health is subsidizing the 2020 series of introductory 3RNet Academy courses so Washington healthcare facilities can attend for no charge:
Find more information about the 3RNet Academy and courses at https://academy/3rnet.org/why-attend.html and https://academy.3rnet.org/agenda.html. Register at https://academy/3rnet.org/register.html using coupon code 2021WA at checkout. The webinars will be recorded, so registrants can watch them on their own schedule. For questions about 3RNet: info@3rnet.org or 800-787-2512. For questions about the Washington program: Faith Johnson at faith.johnson@doh.wa.gov or 360-236-2815.
CMS has released information about the long-awaited ESRD Treatment Choices (ETC) Model, which “aims to test whether greater use of home dialysis and kidney transplantation for Medicare beneficiaries with ESRD will reduce Medicare expenditures, while preserving or enhancing the quality of care furnished to beneficiaries with ESRD.” The newly published information includes:
CROWNWeb has announced that their September Town Hall will occur on September 24, 2020, on the topic of ESRD Community of Practice and EQRS Deep Dive. Find details and register at https://mycrownweb.org/pcw_community_events/september-2020-town-hall/.
CROWNWeb has announced that New User Training will take place on September 15, 2020. For details and registration see https://mycrownweb.org/2020/08/nut-mar-2020-announce-2-2/.
CROWNWeb has also published their September 2020 Newsletter, with articles on:
Find the September Newsletter at https://mycrownweb.org/2020/08/september-2020-newsletter/. According to the schedule published last November, there will be a CROWNWeb Town Hall on September 17, 2020, though it’s not mentioned in this Newsletter; see the “Facility Calendar” link at the top of this page.
The Oregon Health Forum and the Oregon Patient Safety Commission will co-host a September 9, 2020 webinar on Medical Harm: Moving Beyond Deny and Defend. Oregon is advancing a new, transparent approach for communicating with patients who experience medical harm. Find details and register at https://www.oregonhealthforum.org/2020/08/04/march-18-2020-medical-harm-moving-beyond-deny-and-defend/.
CROWNWeb has created a Data Submission Stopwatch as a graphic reminder of when information must be submitted to CMS. Download the Stopwatch from https://mycrownweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Stopwatch-560×380.jpg. Each of the items on the Stopwatch must to be submitted within the time frame shown, as per the ESRD Systems Data Management Guidelines. Download the Guidelines from https://mycrownweb.org/assets/documents/ESRD_Systems_Data_Management_Guidelines.pdf.
CROWNWeb has announced an August 18, 2020 New User Training and an August 27 Town Hall, and published an August CROWNWeb News newsletter:
The August News features articles on:
The CROWNWeb Clinical Closure deadlines are August 31, 2020 for July data, November 2 for August data, and November 30 for September data, but your Network may require earlier data submission.
The National Forum of ESRD Networks has published introductory guides to the Dialysis Facility Compare (DFC) internet application that compares facilities on their general characteristics (such as whether they offer home dialysis or stay open after 5 pm), their quality of care (such as how they compare to other facilities on infection control), and the experience of their patients (such as whether patients found their doctors to be caring and to communicate well).
The guides describe what, why, and how a patient might use DFC. Find them at:
Find DFC itself at https://www.medicare.gov/dialysisfacilitycompare/.
CMS has posted a webinar on the QIP CY2021 Proposed Rule (see https://nwrnbulletins.wordpress.com/2020/07/10/9-4-comments-due-re-proposed-changes-to-qip/). Find a PDF of the presentation slides, an audio recording, and a PDF of the transcript of the webinar at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/ESRDQIP/99_EduResources.
