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Home Dialysis Quality Improvement Activity (QIA) LAN Webinars 2019


QIA LAN-Identified Best Practices 2019

The following best practices were identified from the Home Dialysis QIA LAN events in 2019:

  • Discuss with the facility Medical Director the possibility of placing patients on a Home Hemodialysis (HHD) machine, for four-to-five days at the time of admission to the in-center facility, to assist the patient with modality selection.
  • Identify a staff Home Champion to act as an advocate and educator for new patients.
  • Identify a peer mentor (a current home patient) to act as an advocate for new patients.
  • Refer every new patient to the home program, for a home program nurse assessment of suitability.
  • Explore the possibility of using Telehealth to monitor home dialysis patients.
  • Encourage facility managers and regional leadership to attend modality education sessions with the Home Dialysis educator

Home Dialysis QIA LAN Webinars 2018

QIA LAN-Identified Best Practices 2018

Best practices identified by the Network in 2018 include:

  • Ensure that your team is engaging both patients and caregivers in plan of care (POC) meetings.
    • Know how vital a support system is to the overall well-being and compliance of the patient. 
  • Discuss the feasibility of hosting a caregiver support group within your Interdisciplinary Team (IDT).
    • Is the Caregiver Coffee idea something you would be willing to initiate in your facility?
  • Use the Match-D tool for assessing suitability and discuss with IDT and Medical Director during monthly Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) meetings
  • Individualize modality education for each patient especially those patients new to dialysis that may be overwhelmed and unsure of their dialysis regime
  • Ask patients what is important to them and be mindful of their lifestyle when discussing dialysis modalities
  • Encourage patients and their caregivers to access the My Life, My Dialysis Choice through the following link: www.mydialysischoice.com
  • Engage all in-center and home staff using the team approach when providing patient educational “touch points” over the course of several treatments.
    • Education provided by the nurses, Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), and the hosting of a Lobby Day, was key to an in-center patient making an informed decision to dialyze at home.
  • Utilize a tracker for timely follow-up of patients transitioning through the 7-Steps to home training.
  • Create a process to re-interest in-center patients, new patients and staff on the options of dialyzing at home.
    • First provide home modality education to in-center staff then identify one teammate to be the in-center Home Champion.
  • Select an in-center staff member to serve as a Home Champion.
  • Consider a new approach that includes the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) asking, “Why not home?” to all new patients.
  • Host a Lobby Day that includes a Patient Advocate.
  • Provide individualized patient education in collaboration with the home dialysis team.

 

  • Approach all in-center patients for interest, including patients who have not expressed interest in the past.
  • Provide home dialysis education to staff.
  • Provide the Nephrologist with home dialysis educational opportunities and resources for improved understanding of Peritoneal Dialysis.
  • Build a relationship with local surgeons.

Home Dialysis QIA LAN Resources

Additional resources related to increasing rates of patients dialyzing at home can be found on the Network website here.

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