April Home Dialysis Change Package Newsletter
This change package supports dialysis facilities and End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Networks to increase the number of patients using home dialysis modalities, including peritoneal dialysis (PD) and home hemodialysis. Collected from top-performing dialysis facilities, the package includes an intervention menu of actionable change ideas options for facility implementation. Please view the Home Change Package in its entirety.
Get The Facts: Telehealth/Telemedicine
Telehealth Options
If you live in a rural community where patients drive long distances to get to dialysis or transplant appointments, or if you have patients reluctant to try home dialysis because of the lack of medical support at home, then telehealth may be the answer! Telehealth options are available at many dialysis and transplant centers across the nation. Use the links below to learn more about Telehealth.
Telehealth For ESRD Providers
This guide to Telehealth for ESRD Providers was developed to consolidate facility-level resources into one handout.
Telehealth.HHS.gov

The Telehealth.HHS.gov website provides information for health care providers and patients about the latest federal efforts to support and promote virtual health care. Learn more about finding telehealth options.
Telemedicine Utilization in the COVID-19 Era: What Patients Should Know
This webinar provides important information about utilizing telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Expert speakers discuss how telehealth can be used for in-center dialysis patients, home dialysis patients, and transplant recipients.
Upcoming Events
Telehealth Learning Series
An Overview of Federal Broadband Programs
Join this webinar on Federal Broadband Programs and Resources as part of HRSA’s Telehealth Learning Webinar Series. The series highlights successful projects/best practices as well as resources to promote and further the use of telehealth technologies for health care delivery, education, and health information services.

Topics at a Glance:
  • Rural Health Care Program
  • COVID-19 Telehealth Program | Connected Care Pilot Program
  • Emergency Broadband Benefit
  • Lifeline Program
Date
Wednesday, April 21

Time
12 - 1 pm CT
For more information about the series, contact Kim Shiu.
Dialysis Patient Citizens Webinar
Recognizing, Managing, and Eliminating Barriers to Home Dialysis
Date:
Thursday, April 29

Time:
1 p.m. CT
During this webinar you will:
  • Learn how to understand the option of home dialysis
  • Identify barriers to home dialysis and how to resolve them
  • Learn how home dialysis may be an option for in-center patients and newly diagnosed patients with ESRD

Presenter: Shaminder Gupta, MD, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Monogram Health
ESRD NCC Home Dialysis Webinar
Unplanned Dialysis Starts: A Home First Patient Centered Approach
Date:
Thursday, April 29

Time:
2-3 p.m. CT
Webinar Objectives:
  • Review the unplanned dialysis starts and outcomes.
  • Describe overcoming common barriers on the path to home dialysis.
  • Identify patient outcomes and opportunities for more patient engagement

Presenter: Jose Morfín, MD, FASN, a Professor of Medicine at UC Davis and the Medical Director of Home Dialysis at Satellite Healthcare in Sacramento, CA.
Patient and Family Engagement
Action For Kidney Health Calendar
April’s Action for Kidney Health calendar topic is “Talk Transplant” focusing on kidney transplant as a treatment option in support of Donate Life Month.
Your action step is to encourage patients to explore home dialysis. This options shows the transplant team that a patient can care for themselves and take care of a transplant.

Download and print the calendar for your patients and encourage them to take all the actions for their kidney health. For resources and patient engagement ideas download the Topic of the Month sheet.
Looking Ahead to May
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, May’s Action for Kidney Health Calendar topic is “Coping and Depression” focusing on coping with dialysis addressing depression and the challenges of COVID19 to mental wellness. 
Adopt A Mindset That Home Dialysis is Possible

Jeffrey’s journey with dialysis began in 1999 and he has been on home hemodialysis since 2005. He is a great example of someone who is living well with kidney disease and encourages others with his story. After COVID restrictions are lifted, his clinic has asked him to come and do a treatment at the in-center clinic so other patients can see him in action. Instead of waiting, Jeffrey recorded a video of himself doing his dialysis at home so the Network can share it out more broadly. Click here to see the video.
Coming Soon! Nephrologist Regional Roundtable Meetings 

Regional Roundtables provide an opportunity for nephrologists who are interested in implementing either a Transitional Care Unit (TCU) or Telehealth program for Home Dialysis (HD) patients to learn and glean effective practices from other nephrologists and other practitioners who have implemented or sustained a TCU or Telehealth program. The Regional Roundtable will be modeled after Project ECHO, which applies an “All Teach and All Learn” approach.

If your facility knows of any Nephrologists who would be interested in being a part of the Roundtable Meetings, please forward us their contact information to rheater@qsource.org. 
Sharing a Common Goal!

We would like to hear your current practices on the initiative to improve the use of home modalities! The processes that you have in place may benefit another facility and we would love to share these ideas.

Please tell us all about what your facility does to increase the use of home modalities using the link below.
Calling All Home Dialysis Nurses!
 
We are looking for nurses that are passionate about improving the quality of life of our ESRD population! We want to hear from you! We want to know about your experiences with home modalities, barriers you have faced or are facing now, and any innovative ideas on how we can further improve the way things are being done. Please contact Roma Heater, RN, BSN Quality Improvement Manager. 
This newsletter was prepared and distributed by Qsource ESRD Networks, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (contract number HHSM-500-2016-00010C and HHSM-500-2016-00012C). The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. 21.Q-ESRD.04.047
ESRD Network 10: 317-257-8265 | Patient Line: 800-456-6919 | Website
ESRD Network 12: 816-880-9990 | Patient Line: 800-444-9965 | Website