Renal Physicians Association and Forum of ESRD Networks Launch Web Site

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Renal Physicians Association and Forum of ESRD Networks Launch Keeping Kidney Patient Safe Web Site

Wed Sep 3, 11:00 AM ET

To: MEDICAL EDITORS

Contact: Amy Beckrich, Project Manager of RPA, +1-301-468-3515, abeckrich@renalmd.org

ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Renal Physicians Association (RPA), in partnership with the Forum of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Networks, today launched Keeping Kidney Patients Safe (http://www.kidneypatientsafety.org), a web site designed to serve as a resource for nephrology professionals to improve patient safety and assist them in meeting the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ESRD Facility Conditions for Coverage. The web site focuses on the five areas of concern of ESRD patient safety identified in the Health and Safety Survey to Improve Patient Safety in End Stage Renal Disease conducted by RPA and its partners. The five identified areas of concern are: incorrect dialyzer or dialyzing solution, patient falls, medication errors and omissions, hand hygiene, and non-adherence to procedures.

"The patient and professional surveys identified five areas of most concern to both patients and professional staff," said Dr. Alan S. Kliger, RPA's president. "Keeping Kidney Patients Safe was created to gather and disseminate best practices submitted by renal professionals around the country to improve patient safety and to serve as a resource for implementing patient safety improvement programs in dialysis facilities."

Keeping Kidney Patients Safe includes multimedia tools for improving patient safety, including an introduction to the site by Dr. Richard S. Goldman, vice-chairman of RPA's Quality, Safety and Accountability Committee. A "Patient Safety Improvement Program Toolkit" page offers basic guidance for planning and executing a safety improvement program to help fulfill the quality assessment and performance improvement (QAPI) program required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ESRD Facility Conditions for Coverage. It also includes promotional and education materials to reinforce safety messages at the facility-level such as downloadable posters, screensavers and articles for staff newsletters.

The site features a "Share Your Safety Practices" page, where nephrology professionals can quickly and easily submit a brief description of the policies and procedures they put in place at their dialysis facilities to improve patient safety. Best practices in the five areas submitted by nephrologists and other professionals will be reviewed for possible inclusion on the web site and in the development of educational modules for use in dialysis centers. Nephrology professionals who submit their safety practices will be eligible to receive RPA's Patient Safety Improvement Award at the association's annual meeting in March 2009.

Monthly facts about the five areas of patient safety concern derived from current research will be posted on the "Did You Know" page to help keep nephrology professionals up to date on the latest statistics and prevention techniques.

As Keeping Kidney Patients Safe evolves, interactive educational modules will be developed around each of the five areas of patient safety concern. Further, "Spotlight On Safety" articles will be posted, highlighting the experiences of nephrology professionals across the country who have made a positive impact on improving patient safety at their dialysis facilities. Keeping Kidney Patients Safe will continue to grow and reflect the latest innovations for improving end stage renal disease patient safety.

The Renal Physicians Association (RPA) is the professional organization of nephrologists whose goal is to ensure quality care under the highest standards of medical practice for patients with kidney disease and related disorders. Please visit the Keeping Kidney Patients Safe web site at http://www.kidneypatientsafety.org.

SOURCE Renal Physicians Association

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20080903/pl_usnw/renal_physicians_association_and_forum_of_esrd_networks_launch_keeping_kidney_patient_safe_web_site