Welcome to the May Issue of ACT IVATION In This Issue   Quality Improvement Activity (QIA) Learning and Action Network (LAN) Interventions The NCC Patient Grant Library Human Centered Design (HCD) Projects Donate Life’s National Blue and Green Day National Care Transitions Awareness Day Clean Hands Count Pilot Test Health and Safety Observances

Quality Improvement

Learning and Action Networks Following is an overview of the May 2019 QIA LAN meetings: May 7 Bloodstream Infections (BSIs) Shares the story of Tina Renew and Susan Gill, who work together to oversee the BSI QIA at U.S. Renal Care in Griffin, Georgia. Together they are reducing the number of BSI events in the unit. Last year, in 2018, there were eight; this year they are holding the line at three. May 14 Home Modalities Discusses the use of telehealth to support home modalities. Led by Dr. Nupur Gupta, nephrology specialist at Indiana University Health, this event also addresses regulations and requirements for telehealth program set-up and use. May 21 Transplant Describes Fresenius Medical Care’s (FMC’s) successful initiatives to increase rates of transplantation through ongoing communication with transplant centers. This call is presented by Chanda Mehta, LCSW, MEd, a clinical social worker with FMC. January LAN Interventions The following tables display the top three implemented interventions from each of the January QIA LANs:

Bloodstream Infection

Display the Days Since Last BSI poster so it is visible Share surveillance reports at quality and staff meetings Encourage all staff to sign an Infection Prevention Pledge 31% 29% 17%

Home Modality

Provide flexible hours for training Offer backup hemodialysis to prevent partner burnout Dialyze patients at home unit to experience the difference 17% 13% 4%

Transplant

Involve families when providing transplant education Use administrative assistants to provide support Hold Lobby Days and invite transplant centers to participate 37% 26% 20%

Patient and Family Engagement

Learning and Action Network May 22, 2019 Patient Experience of Care (PEOC) LAN DeeDee Velasquez-Peralta, LMSW, Network 12, will describe her Network's Patient Representative (NPR) Program, including NPR partner roles and strategies for recruitment and selection.

Patient and Family Resources The NCC is pleased to announce a new resource to help kidney patients find funding to support ideas for education, advocacy, and/or helping others living with kidney disease—the Patient Grant Library. The Library includes information to help users find grant sources, submit applications, create budgets, and write proposals. Visitors to the site can also take a tutorial to learn basic internet terms and how to navigate a website.   Spread the word that the NCC Patient Grant Library can help find a grant for that!  ( www.esrdncc.org/patientgrantlibrary)

Innovating for Improvement

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is using the HCD approach as the foundation for two nationally-based projects: Increase Access to Transplantation The NCC, CMS, and Accenture are collaborating on a project to increase access to transplant and reduce the kidney discard rate. The NCC partnered with Networks 5, 7, and 13 to conduct preliminary research through interviews with patients, dialysis providers, and transplant centers. Following the research, the NCC held an ideation session that included patients and professionals from across the country. The session generated 150 ideas that were compiled into 26 concepts. During 2019, the NCC, CMS, and Accenture will refine, prototype, and pilot the concepts identified as having the greatest potential to improve the ESRD patient transplant experience.  Develop a Patient Social App  This project is focused on developing a social app to support increased ESRD patient empowerment and activation. In March 2019, the NCC conducted research to uncover the reasons why patients use social media. The research included interviews with patients from the Network 12 service area, as well as with NPFE-LAN members and Legacy SMEs. Responses included connecting with friends and family, finding materials for education or inspiration, and managing healthcare to improve overall well-being. Next steps for this project include presenting a research read-out and conducting an ideation session.    Stay tuned for future updates!

Communication and Coordination

Raising Awareness About Organ Donation Donate Life America's Blue and Green Day is held each year to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation and the ongoing need for registered donors. Donate Life encourages the public to wear blue and green to help promote the day. This year, National Blue and Green Day was celebrated on April 12, 2019.  The NCC conducted a social media campaign to spread awareness of the day, including sharing stories from transplant patients and donors and posting pictures of stakeholders wearing their Donate Life colors. The campaign was successful, with the Blue and Green Day social media posts generating 275 reactions and 3,025 views! Visit the NCC to view photos and social media posts shared by renal stakeholders in support of this important cause: https://esrdncc.org/en/blue-and-green-day/ .

Share the Success

Clean Hands Count! The NCC is partnering with Networks 4, 8, and 13 to test the Clean Hands Count badge as an intervention for providing patient education. The facilities participating in the pilot were selected from those with the highest BSI rates from each Network service area. The badges will be implemented as a tool to initiate discussion about proper and timely hand washing among patients and facility staff, as well among fellow patients. The participating facilities will test effectiveness of the intervention and report on any identified best practices for implementation. The pilot begins in May, and final outcomes will be shared with all Networks in September.   The  Clean Hands Count  badge is available for all community stakeholders to order and can be brand-customized with a logo. For more information visit: https://www.esrdncc.org/en/resources/patients/infection-prevention/clean-hands-count/clean-hands-count-badge/ .

Mark Your Calendar

NCC Event Calendar Click here to view the May 2019 event calendar. The calendar displays dates for the QIA and PEOC LANs, Patient and Family LAN and Affinity Group meetings, and other NCC activities, as well as events hosted by the Forum of ESRD Networks.  National Events May 9–11, 2019, National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings This year’s conference will be held in Boston, Massachusetts. Please visit the NCC booth in support of the ESRD Network Program! November 7, 2019, National Kidney Community Emergency Response Exercise Planning for the exercise will begin during May. More information will be provided soon.  Health and Safety Observances May 5, 2019 , World Health Organization's (WHO's) World Hand Hygiene Day The theme for the 2019 campaign is, ‘SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands.’ Click here to visit the WHO website for Hand Hygiene Day information and resources. May 5–11, 2019, is National Hurricane Preparedness Week Hurricane Preparedness Week focuses on a different theme each day to provide information on keeping safe during hurricane season. Visit the Ready.gov website to view the daily themes and access the Hurricane Preparedness Digital Toolkit.

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This material was prepared the End Stage Renal Disease National Coordinating Center (ESRD NCC) contractor, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy nor imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. FL-ESRD NCC-7N1T02-05022019-01