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Northwest Renal NetworkNews Bulletins 2003 |
![[Logo]](http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/NWRenalLogo2.gif)
| New CDC Infection Control Guidelines | ||
| Pets in Facilities | ||
| ESRD Forms Revisions | ||
| Free HIPAA Security Seminars | ||
| Four Patient Resources | ||
| EPO Policy Review Extension | ||
| ANNA PD Nurse Resource Guide | ||
| Heart Health, Blood Pressure, and Fluids Module of Life Options Kidney School | ||
| Emergency Preparedness Guides for People and for Facilities | ||
| Cellphones May Spread Infection | ||
| New CMS Web Site for Providers | ||
| HIPAA Deadline Relaxed | ||
| Will You Be Ready for HIPAA on October 16? | ||
| Education for Physicians on End-of-Life Care Training | ||
| RPA Nephrology Coding and Billing Seminars | ||
| Life Options Rehabilitation Program | ||
| Office of HIPAA Standards |
16 Dec 2003 There is a later article on this topic.
New CDC Infection Control Guidelines
The most ESRD-relevant portions of the new CDC Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities are summarized at http://www.renalweb.com/ubb/Forum15/HTML/000423.html, and presented in full (249 pages) at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/enviro/Enviro_guide_03.pdf.
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16 Dec 2003 In their new Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities, the CDC says that "Animals potentially can serve as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, which can be introduced to the health-care setting while the animal is present. VRE has been isolated from ... pets, and a cat in a geriatric care center was found to be colonized by MRSA" (p.105). The Network's Medical Review Board recently reviewed concerns about pets in units. They suggest that you review your facility policy on pets in light of section H ("Animals in Health-Care Facilities") of these new guidelines, which can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/enviro/Enviro_guide_03.pdf.
Pets in Facilities
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16 Dec 2003 CMS is revising the ESRD forms you are required to submit. A 60-day comment period for the Medical Evidence form for Medicare Entitlement and/or Patient Registration - Form 2728 - began on 1 December. You can see the new form at http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/newforms/CMSFM2728rev.pdf. The new Annual Facility Survey (Form 2744) and Death Notification form (Form 2746) have already passed their comment periods. These forms can be seen at http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/newforms/cms-2744A.pdf and http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/newforms/FormCMS-2746final.pdf. You can compare them to the current forms or review the status of the form revision program at http://www.cms.gov/esrd/5.asp, and keep up to date on all CMS ESRD developments at http://www.cms.gov/providers/esrd.asp.
ESRD Forms Revisions
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19 Nov 2003 QuickCompliance Inc (http://www.quickcompliance.net/), a "leading provider of web-based healthcare regulatory and compliance training solutions," has announced a series of free online seminars and audio conferences on the HIPAA Security requirements. The seminars will run through April 2005, but only the first four have been scheduled so far:
Free HIPAA Security Seminars
9 December 2003 - The Final HIPAA Security Rule and What It Means to Your Organization NowYou can find more details about the individual seminars at http://www.quickcompliance.net/hipaasecurity and about the series at http://medicalnewswire.com/artman/publish/medicalnews.shtml. There are also earlier news bulletins about HIPAA.
21 January 2004 - The Training Requirements of the HIPAA Security Rule
February 2004 - Developing an Effective Security Policy for Your Organization
March 2004 - Panel Discussion: Security Compliance Without Breaking the Bank
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19 Nov 2003 1. The American Medical Association has produced a self-assessment questionnaire for caregivers. You can see or print a copy from (in English) - http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/upload/mm/36/caregivertooleng.pdf or (in Spanish) - http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/upload/mm/36/caregivertoolspan.pdf. It's introduced at http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8802.html.
Four Patient Resources
2. The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) has a new program called "AAKP Says I Can" to promote living well with dialysis - http://www.aakp.org/www.aakp.org/AAKP/aakpsaysIcan.htm.
3. AAKP also has a Patient Plan to provide patients and their families a comprehensive guide to treatment. The Plan has four phases - (1) Diagnosis to Treatment Choice, (2) Access and Initiation, (3) Stabilization, and (4) Ongoing Treatment. Each phase contains a 50-page book and 12-page newsletter, which can be obtained from AAKP at 800-749-2257, or printed directly from the pdfs at http://www.aakp.org/AAKP/patientplan.htm.
4. It's not specific to ESRD, but the National Institutes of Health have a new talking website tailored to the needs of older people, at http://nihseniorhealth.gov/. Here's an announcement about it - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/news/press_releases/nihseniorhealthpr03.html.TOP OF PAGE BOTTOM OF PAGE
19 Nov 2003 In September CMS asked interested parties to submit scientific evidence related to EPO dosing and hematocrit/hemoglobin levels to help them develop a permanent policy to ensure appropriate administration of EPO in ESRD patients. The deadline for submitting such evidence has been extended till January 15. CMS's letter announcing this (including a link to the original request) can be found at http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/epoextension.htm.
EPO Policy Review ExtensionTOP OF PAGE BOTTOM OF PAGE
17 Nov 2003 The Peritoneal Dialysis Special Interest Group (PDSIG) of the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA) recently developed an extensive Resource Guide especially for PD nurses. The Guide, written in an annotated bibliography format, offers recommended resources (and how to locate them) on PD adequacy, infectious and non-infectious complications, quality management, the adult learner, program management and much, much more. The PD Nurse Resource Guide was published in the October 2003 issue of the ANNA Nephrology Nursing Journal and is now also available at http://annanurse.org/forms/info/PDGuide.pdf (Acrobat/PDF format, 152K).
ANNA PD Nurse Resource Guide
The Guide was developed as a tool to assist all PD nurses - from novices to experts - and will also be helpful to students, other nurses, and any healthcare personnel who care for PD patients. Not intended to be all inclusive, it's a selection of resources that have proven to be accessible, affordable, and applicable to daily practice. The sources listed are available at medical libraries, bookstores and websites. Many are free or can be obtained for a nominal fee. The Web sites listed represent non-profit organizations and specific journals. All websites have been validated as of June 1, 2003. Future additions and updates are planned. The ANNA PDSIG welcomes suggestions and comments.
The PDSIG suggests that PD nurses also explore the vast array of available resources for patients and nurses available from the corporate sector. They encourage you to check with your vendors about the availability of booklets, pamphlets, electronic tools, and websites. They also recommend that you read product package inserts to increase your awareness of manufacturers’ recommendations for product procedures and uses.TOP OF PAGE BOTTOM OF PAGE
17 Nov 2003 The Life Options program announces a new Heart Health, Blood Pressure, and Fluids module for the successful Kidney School, available at http://www.KidneySchool.org. The purpose of Kidney School is to inspire, motivate, and empower people with chronic kidney disease (stages 3 to 5) to take an active role in their healthcare - and improve their chances to live long and live well. In the 15 years that Kidney School has been available, more than 113,000 users have visited the self-paced kidney learning center; an average of 6,325 visitors per month!
Heart Health, Blood Pressure, and Fluids Module of Life Options Kidney School
The new module teaches people with kidney disease about the importance of controlling their blood pressure to keep their kidneys and heart healthy. Topics include measuring blood pressure; risks factors for high blood pressure and heart problems; and lifestyle factors such as healthy eating, cigarette and alcohol use, and exercise. A major feature of the new module is a detailed breakdown of blood pressure medications by class. Life Options developed this module with all of the expected features of Kidney School: a pretest/posttest; lively content; pop-ups, graphics, photos, and patient quotes; an evaluation; and a certificate of completion. As always, a multidisciplinary panel of Life Options Rehabilitation Advisory Council (LORAC) members and patients and professionals from the renal community reviewed the module. "People with kidney disease or kidney failure are at a significantly greater risk for heart problems," says LORAC Chair and Kidney School reviewer Bryan Becker, MD, FACP. "Knowing how to reduce that risk is vital to living long and well."
Life Options is administered by the Medical Education Institute, Inc. of Madison WI, and supported by Amgen Inc. Life Options' free, research-based educational materials for patients and professionals are available from the award-winning Life Options website at http://www.lifeoptions.org. For more information, call the Life Options Resource Center at (800) 468-7777, or e-mail lifeoptions@MEIresearch.org.TOP OF PAGE BOTTOM OF PAGE
14 Nov 2003 A publication that will help patients be prepared for emergencies caused by severe weather or disasters is Preparing for Emergencies: A Guide for People on Dialysis, on the U.S. Medicare web site. It's also available in Spanish. These documents, and the next one, require Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing. For facilities, the CMS publication, Emergency Preparedness for Dialysis Facilities: Guide for Chronic Dialysis Facilities, will be useful.
Emergency Preparedness: Guides for People on Dialysis, and for Dialysis FacilitiesTOP OF PAGE BOTTOM OF PAGE
14 Nov 2003 A recent Reuters article describes a study on the presence of the microbe Acinetobacter baumannii on cell phones. This microbe can survive for long periods on dry surfaces, can develop resistance to antibiotics, and can produce high mortality rates among those it infects. Details at http://12.42.224.152/HealthNews/reuters/NewsStory0917200313.htm.
Cellphones May Spread Infection
14 Oct 2003 There's a new CMS website for ESRD providers, which consolidates a lot of information - http://www.cms.gov/providers/esrd.asp.
New CMS Web Site for Providers
25 Sep 2003 CMS has announced that it will accept non-HIPAA-compliant claims beyond the former October 16 deadline. See http://www.cms.gov/media/press/release.asp?Counter=870. The press release does not say how long this will be true.
HIPAA Deadline Relaxed
Will You Be Ready for HIPAA on October 16?
Testing * Testing 1-2-3? Are you sure you will be able to send and receive HIPAA-compliant electronic transactions after the October 16, 2003 deadline? Fewer than 70 days remain! Will you be ready?Guidance on Compliance with HIPAA Transactions and Code Sets after the October 16, 2003, Implementation Deadline is available now at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa2, including new resources "Questions to ask Vendors, TPAs or Clearinghouses" and "Steps Toward HIPAA Compliance."
Free Outreach Listserve: sign up at http://list.nih.gov/archives/hipaa-outreach-l.html to receive free notices on HIPAA announcements, new tools and educational material, and related information.
HIPAA Roundtable August 22, 2003, 2:00-3:30 PM EST. Call in number is 1-877-381-6315, conference ID # is 1596431.
Free CMS Fax Back Service. Looking for information on HIPAA but don't have Internet access? Several documents are available by calling 800-874-5894. Have your fax number ready when you call.
Free webcast on HIPAA: CMS' Southern Consortium is sponsoring a free webcast for health care providers. You can choose any of the following presentations: "HIPAA Message to Providers from the Southern Consortium Administrator," "HIPAA Basics," "Provider Steps to Getting Paid under HIPAA," or (New!) "HIPAA Security."
For more information on HIPAA go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa2. Concerns about Medicare contractors or Medicaid State Agencies and their readiness? Send your question to: askhipaa@cms.hhs.gov
Here’s a letter addressed to Medicare Providers from the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare Services, reminding you of the HIPAA requirements and offering testing and other assistance, along with a list of Helpful HIPAA Resources.
Education for Physicians on End-of-Life Care Training in Berkeley CA in October
The Education for Physicians on End-of-Life Care ("EPEC") Team invites physicians and other health care professionals to become EPEC trainers October 13th to 15th in Berkeley, Cal. This two and one-half day conference provides the basic tools needed to be an EPEC Trainer and teach the EPEC Curriculum to others. Master Facilitators and national experts will present four plenary and twelve interactive small-group sessions on the content and teaching techniques of palliative care. ‘Become An EPEC Trainer’ conferences and trainer certifications are only offered by The EPEC Project.
To register online or download the brochure, or to learn more about EPEC, visit: http://www.epec.net/. For other business, please call the EPEC Project at 312-503-3732 or send email to info@epec.net.
--From the Last Acts News, www.lastacts.org
Nephrology coding and billing is quite complex and requires an in depth understanding of Federal guidelines and requirements as well as variations in local carrier medical review policies (LMRPs). During this one-day seminar participants will learn which CPT codes to use for various scenarios and which ICD-9 codes to use for various diagnoses. In this seminar you will learn not only the basic guidelines applicable to all internal medicine physician practices, but specifically how to apply these basics to the complex kidney disease patient coding scenarios. Call 301-468-3511. View brochure (1.6 Mbytes). View registration form . (These documents require Acrobat Reader for viewing.)
There is
excellent information available from the Life
Options Rehabilitation Program Kidney School . You can
also read about how to improve quality of life, and share your own
success stories, at the Life Options Rehabilitation Resource Center's Life
Options Showcase of Ideas for Renal Professionals and the Life
Options Showcase of Ideas for People on Dialysis .
CMS has
created an Office of HIPAA Standards (OHS) to focus on enforcement of HIPAA’s
transaction and code set standards and HIPAA’s portability requirements. For information, go to www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa or dial
the CMS HIPAA Hotline at (866) 282-0659.
For
information on training programs related to HIPAA requirements, access http://www.trainforhipaa.com/
.
Page
updated 18 Mar 2007
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