EQRS Newsletter and Training

EQRS will present an online New User Training on January 18, 2022. For details and registration see https://mycrownweb.org/pcw_lems/january-2022-new-user-training/.

The January EQRS Quarterly Newsletter is also available, at https://mycrownweb.org/2022/01/january-2022-newsletter/, including articles on:

• 2021 Data Submission – all 2021 EQRS Clinical Data, Depression Screening, and ICH CAHPS attestations are due by February 28, 2022.
• Final PY2022 PSRs and PSCs – available for download in February 2022. PSCs must be posted within 15 days of their availability, until December 31, 2022, in both English and Spanish.
• How to Route Questions – on EQRS software or data, the QIP, HCQIS, Patient Demographics, 2728s, patient deaths, duplicate patients, QIAs, patient grievances, facility concerns.
• New EQRS Features – Nursing Home Identifiers, Telemedicine Use, Batch Submission.
• A Chat Box on posting PSCs.
• 2022 Data Submission Deadlines – March 31 for January, May 2 for February, May 31 for March.

Anonymous Grievance Process

We’ve added a section to the Patient Services pages of our websites on Developing an Anonymous Grievance Process at Your Facility.  Find the new sections at:

• Network 16: https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/nwrn.org/files/Provs/20191223+NW16_ANONYMOUS_Grievance_Process.pdf.
• Network 18: http://www.esrdnetwork18.org/wp-content/uploads/20191223-NW18_ANONYMOUS-Grievance-Process.pdf.

Find the overview Patient Services pages for providers at:

• Network 16: https://www.nwrn.org/providers-and-professional-staff/patient-services.html.
• Network 18: http://www.esrdnetwork18.org/providers/patient-services/.

NW18 Patient Grievance Process

Check out the Network 18 website for some great information on the Network 18 Grievance Process:

• For Providers, see http://www.esrdnetwork18.org/providers/patient-services/, which includes English and Spanish versions of the Network 18 Grievance Poster, Grievance Brochure, a link to the National Forum of ESRD Networks’ Grievance Toolkit, and a discussion on Preventing and Reducing Involuntary Discharge.

• For Patients and Care Partners, see http://www.esrdnetwork18.org/patients/grievances/, which includes English and Spanish versions of the Network 18 Grievance Poster, Grievance Brochure, and a packet of Patient Grievance Guidelines and Forms; a discussion of patient and Network Roles and Responsibilities; and a list of California state Department of Health Services offices.

Keep in mind that no patient should ever suffer any retaliation for filing a grievance.  The Network is here to assist facilities and patients in resolving any concerns that may arise, in a collaborative and positive manner.  All facilities are required to:

• Make sure you have the ESRD Network 18 Grievance Poster prominently displayed in your lobby or another area that is accessible to patients and guests, including a Spanish copy of the Poster.
• Ensure that all patients understand how to file a grievance with you, with the Network, and with the State.

You can also print some Brochures and pass them out to patients, or have them available in your lobby.

NW16 Patient Grievance Process

The Network 16 website includes important information about the Network 16 Grievance Process:

• For Providers: https://www.nwrn.org/providers-and-professional-staff/patient-services/grievances.html includes English and Spanish versions of the Network 16 Grievance Poster, and Grievance Brochure.
  

• For Patients and Care Partners: https://www.nwrn.org/patients-a-family/voice.html includes English and Spanish versions of the Network 16 Grievance Poster, Grievance Brochure, links to the National Forum of ESRD Networks’ Grievance Toolkits, and a list of State Survey Agency contacts.

Keep in mind that no patient should ever suffer any retaliation for filing a grievance.  The Network is here to assist facilities and patients in resolving any concerns that may arise, in a collaborative and positive manner.  All facilities are required to:

• Prominently display the ESRD Network 16 Grievance Poster in your lobby or another area that is accessible to patients and guests, including a Spanish copy if appropriate for your patients.
• Ensure that all patients understand how to file a grievance with you, with the Network, and with the State.

You can also print some brochures and pass them out to patients or have them available in your lobby.

5/2 Grievance Toolkit Webinar

The National Forum of ESRD Networks will present a May 2, 2018 webinar on The Grievance Toolkit: Fostering Communication & Improving Quality.  The Toolkit was developed BY patients FOR patients!  While it was written to guide patients through the grievance process it has proven to be a useful tool for both patients and providers to help improve communication.  This webinar will provide strategies to improve collaboration between patients and the care team, including tips for communicating with dialysis patients, and for addressing patients fears associated with presenting a grievance.  Contact hours will be available for nurses, PCTs, and social workers.  Find more information and register at http://esrdnetworks.org/education/quality-conference/quality-conference-webinar-2018.  Download the Grievance Toolkit and a poster summarizing its contents at http://esrdnetworks.org/resources/toolkits/patient-toolkits.

New Grievance Process

To bring our Complaints and Grievances processes in line with the new Network contract, we’ve modified our web pages on the topic.

• Find Network 16’s revised Complaints page for patients at https://nwrn.org/patients-a-family/voice.html , which outlines our process, and provides links to the Network’s Grievance Poster and Brochure, and the Forum of ESRD Network’s Grievance Toolkit.  Our new page for Network 16 social workers is at https://www.nwrn.org/providers-and-professional-staff/ptcenter/sw/grievances.html .  Please address questions or concerns to Network 16 Patient Services Director Lisa Hall at lhall@nw16.esrd.net or 206-923-0714.

• Find Network 18’s information for patients and care partners at http://www.esrdnetwork18.org/patients/grievances/, and for providers at http://www.esrdnetwork18.org/providers/patient-services/.  Please address questions or concerns to Network 18 Patient Services Director Eileen Rhodes, 888-268-1539 or ERhodes@nw18.esrd.net/.

Providers: Make sure you have the HealthInsight Grievance Poster posted in your lobby or another area that is accessible to patients and guests.  There are links to the posters and brochures on the web pages listed above.  Feel free to print out some brochures and pass them out to patients or have them available in your lobby.  Ensure that all patients understand how to file a grievance with you, with the Network or with the State.  Please keep in mind that no patient should ever suffer any retaliation for filing a grievance.  The Network is here to assist you and your patients in resolving any concerns that may arise in a collaborative and positive manner.

NW Network Council Call Recordings

A recording of the January 9, 2017 Network Council Call has been placed on the Northwest Renal Network website, along with a pdf of the slides from the webinar.  The call described the current Network contract structure and obligations, with emphasis on this year’s Quality Improvement Activities and CROWNWeb requirements and protocols.  Find the recording at https://healthinsight.adobeconnect.com/p6sn4hjkmow/?proto=true and the slides at https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/nwrn.org/files/qia/2017/2017NW16NetworkCouncilPresentationFinal.pdf .

Healthy Boundaries

Boundaries are a concept that confuses most people at first.  The March issue of Network 16 News includes an excellent list of suggestions on how one might approach behavior that offends facility staff or patients, to defuse situations that could otherwise escalate into greater discomfort and animosity.  We’ve added this issue to the Network 16 website at https://www.nwrn.org/providers-and-professional-staff/nw16n.html .

2016 QI Activities

We’ve published the January issue of Network 16 News, and put a copy on the Network 16 website at https://www.nwrn.org/providers-and-professional-staff/nw16n.html .  This issue summarizes the new CMS contract requirements for Network and facility Quality Improvement Activities.  This list also applies to Network 18 and Southern California facilities.  

The eight projects include improving:

• The grievance process
• Patient responses to ICH CAHPS
• Vaccination rates
• Coordination between dialysis facilities and hospitals

and reducing:

• Long-term catheter use
• Blood-stream infections
• Unplanned hospitalization
• High serum calcium levels

The issue also includes a note on ICH CAHPS exemption attestation for the QIP, and ticklers on professional meetings February 27 (ADC in Seattle), March 3 (NWRD Conference near Portland), April 27 (NKF Spring Clinical Meetings in Boston), and May 19, 2016 (CNSW Conference near Seattle).  For more information on these, click on “Facility Calendar” in the menu at the top of this page.

QI for the Next Five Years

Our webinar on “The Next Five Years” of Network QI projects will be repeated at 9am Pacific Time on January 7, 2016.  If you missed the webinar on December 18, we encourage your facility to have a representative at this webinar, as there’s an excellent chance that your facility will be included in one or more of these projects.  The 2016-2019 QI projects include patient immunization, long-term catheters, hospitalization reduction, hypercalcemia, bloodstream infections and sepsis, NHSN, patient engagement, and grievances.  If you haven’t registered yet, you can do so at https://qualitynet.webex.com/mw3000/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=qualitynet .