6/26 Reporting Peritonitis infections in EQRS

New EQRS Reporting Process: Peritonitis Infections  June 26, 2023
On June 26, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added a Peritonitis Infections module in the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Quality Reporting System (EQRS). The new Peritonitis Infections module captures peritoneal dialysis infection data and rates among peritoneal dialysis patients. Beginning June 26, 2023, dialysis facilities are required to report peritonitis infection data on the Manage Patient screen under the new Infections tab in EQRS (Figure 1). 
The new EQRS peritoneal dialysis infection reporting process requires facilities to document peritoneal dialysis infections in the Infections module when a peritoneal dialysis infection event occurs. EQRS users can begin entering infection data in the Infections module by clicking the Add Infections Data button on the Infections Summary screen (Figure 2). 
Additionally, the Peritonitis Infections module contains five different reporting sections, including: Patient and Event Details Risk Factors Lab and Diagnostic Testing Signs and Symptoms Outcomes EQRS users can enter data for any of the five reporting sections within the module by clicking on the tabs listed in the header at the top of the page (Figure 3). Once the Event Date is entered in the Patient and Event Details section, users can save their data and return to the module later to complete and submit their data entry. EQRS users can continue to edit and/or add additional data after submission.
If your facility batch submits data or uses Health Information Exchange/Electronic Data Interchange methods for data submission, please follow the guidance provided by your organization. For more information about the new EQRS reporting process for peritonitis infections, please refer to the CMS Infection Event Data Submission Requirements resource that is available on the Education page on www.MyCROWNWeb.org.If you are having technical issues with the EQRS user interface, please contact the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) Service Center. The CCSQ Service Center is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time and can be reached via phone at (866) 288-8912, email at qnetsupport-esrd@cms.hhs.gov, or by going to CCSQ Support Central. For general EQRS questions and questions about the ESRD Quality Incentive Program, please use the QualityNet Q&A Tool

October Webinars & Events

  • October 11, 2021 – Last day to register for October 21 Bingo Night and receive materials by mail.

4/22+ Staff Education

Recently announced staff education opportunities:

  • April 22, 2021: NIDDK will host a live Facebook event on CKD: Hope through Research, featuring Directors of NIDDK discussing advances in artificial kidneys, and research on genetic causes of CKD. Find details and sign up at https://www.facebook.com/events/727026381297271.
  • Weekdays in April and May: The Fresenius Global Medical Information & Education Office frequently repeats their extensive suite of CKD staff education webinars and product training presentations. The sessions are open to all, and CEUs are available. Recent additions include a webinar on Non-Infectious Complications of PD, and a Review of the Liberty Select Cycler. Find the course list, May Calendar, a link to more information, and registration instructions at https://custom.cvent.com/0C5715850B334257947E1386198E9836/files/cc507ac1225e456ba9d837d4a6bfa85d.pdf.

4/15+ April Staff Education

A partial list of April 2021 CEU and other staff education opportunities follows:

Note that Continuing Education Credit may be available even where not indicated above.

1/21 Workshop on Home Therapies & the PD Prescription

The Advanced Renal Education Program will present a half-day January 21, 2021 workshop on Overview of Home Therapies & Optimizing the PD Prescription. 2.0 contact hours for nurse practitioners, registered nurses and allied health professionals, and 3.5 ACCME Credits for physicians are available. Find an overview at https://web.cvent.com/event/3664939c-ff5b-41eb-9423-4f533d0f056f/summary, the agenda at https://web.cvent.com/event/3664939c-ff5b-41eb-9423-4f533d0f056f/websitePage:645d57e4-75eb-4769-b2c0-f201a0bfc6ce, and register at https://web.cvent.com/event/3664939c-ff5b-41eb-9423-4f533d0f056f/regProcessStep1.

FMC CE Webinars

The FMC Renal Therapies Group is presenting a Medical Education Online Webex Series of daily continuing education credit webinars. Topics for November 2-6, 2020 include home dialysis prescriptions, hyperphosphatemia, medical evidence for more frequent HD, PD essentials, and tidal PD. The remainder of November includes courses on urgent start PD, the peritoneal equilibrium test, infectious and non-infectious PD complications, PD software, fluid management, simplified dosing, anemia, and other topics. Find links to everything you need to know at https://www.cvent.com/events/medical-education-webex-series/event-summary-d2ca127a10594ddfb52335b657b58bb2.aspx.

ASN COVID-19 Home Dialysis Video

ASN has published a video on COVID-19: Considerations in the Home Dialysis Setting.  Find it at https://www.asn-online.org/ntds/resources/Webcast_2020_04_09_COVID-19.mp4.  The video is self-starting.  Major topics include treatment strategies, organizational change, PPE, patient education, regulatory issues, telehealth, and cohort management.  Find slides here and speaker bios here.

4/2+ ASN COVID-19 Webinars on Hospitalization and Home

ASN will present an April 2, 2020 webinar on Hospital Care and Treatment Options for COVID-19 Positive Patients with ESKD and AKI that will address key areas of concern in the management of COVID-19 positive patients receiving RRT in the hospital setting, including treatment options, staffing, and safety.  Register at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4478274981960155148.

There’s no link yet, but ASN has also promised an April 9 webinar on Considerations in the Home Dialysis Setting. 

Recordings of the two previous ASN COVID-19 webinars are available at:

Transitional Care for Urgent Starts in Dialysis

Home Dialysis Central has published a blog post on Traditional Dialysis vs. Transitional Care for Urgent Starts.  Transitional Care for Urgent Starts (TCU) provides a gentler and more supportive introduction to dialysis for people whose kidneys fail with little warning, helping them get past the shock of a “sudden” change of just about everything in their life, and helping them make informed decisions about treatment modality.  Of course kidneys don’t fail suddenly, but sometimes it seems that way to the person whose kidneys have failed.  Find the post at https://homedialysis.org/news-and-research/blog/330-traditional-dialysis-vs-transitional-care-for-urgent-starts.

ANNA Fact Sheets on PD, AKI

The ANNA Special Practice Networks have published a series of several-page Fact Sheets on a number of topics: