Dial In for Dialysis Info

Dialysis
High Costs and Hidden Perils of a Treatment Guaranteed to All
Dial In for Dialysis Info
by Mike Webb
ProPublica, Jan. 13, 2011, 1:37 p.m.
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Late last year, ProPublica released dialysis clinic performance data that the government had been collecting but, with few exceptions, had never made public. ProPublica's Dialysis Tracker allows patients to search for a clinic and see how it compares to others on 15 different measures, ranging from mortality rates and hospitalization to transplants rates and infection control.

Sign up for ProPublica's conference call for Thursday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m.
Consumers were the immediate beneficiaries because our dialysis series gave them access to material that could help them make more informed decisions about their treatment. And media outlets were able to use data to produce their own news reports about dialysis care.

Since the series started, several reporters and members of the renal community have asked questions about the data and how they can use it. To answer these questions, and any others our readers might have, senior editor Robin Fields will host a conference call on Thursday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. Eastern / 12 p.m. (noon) Pacific. Fields will walk participants through the ways they can use the dialysis data -- whether it be for reporting, research, policy analysis or your own health. The call will cover how this data set goes beyond what has previously been available and she'll discuss ideas for further reporting on this issue.

If you would like to join the call, sign up now and next week, we'll send you the number to call.

Inform our investigations: Do you have information or expertise relevant to this story? Help us and journalists around the country by sharing your stories and experiences.

http://www.propublica.org/article/dial-in-for-dialysis-info