According to findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology in San Diego and reported at upi.com, primary care physicians are failing to diagnose chronic kidney disease, especially in women.
Study leader, Dr. Maya Rao of Columbia University in New York says primary care doctors typically order a blood test called creatinine to measure kidney function, but this alone is not a particularly accurate measure of kidney function. The serum creatinine should also be plugged into a formula that gives an estimated kidney filtration rate -- called glomerular filtration rate -- which is a much more accurate estimate of kidney function. To read the entire article, click here.
The CKD Project offers many free resources on eGFR including:
eGFR Slide Rule Calculator
GFR Tracking and Trending Tool
How Well Are Your Kidneys Working
Multi-Tasking GFR Results for CKD Detection, Tracking, Treatment and Patient Self-Management PPT.
Click here or on the tool above to access these resources.
CMS Eliminates Consultation Codes in 2010
According to an article recently released by VascularWeb, major changes in medicare's coding and documentation requirements will be effective as of January 1, 2010, but the adjustments are expected to be good for the bottom line of most surgeons.
As part of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2010, whihc was published in the Federal Register in October, officials at CMS are eliminating the use of inpatient and outpatient consultation codes, except for telehealth codes. Instead, surgeons will use new or established office visit codes, inital hospital care codes, or initial nursing facility care codes.
Reforming Healthcare: Is the Answer a Chronic Care Model?
As discussed in the latest issue of CKD Crisis Update,the chronic care model (CCM) identifies the essential elements of a health care system that encourage high-quality chronic disease care.
A great point made by Dr. Michael Lilly, FFBI consultant, on the last Hospital Collaborative Teleconference, explores this concept in relation to the care of the CKD patient.Dr. Lilly proposes a “system” that gathers a commitment from all the team members including hospital staff, discharge planners, and the outpatient dialysis clinics.The nephrologist, as team leader, collectively takes responsibility for the ongoing care of the patient.Dr. Lilly stressed that instead of a specific “floor” for CKD patients, we need a system that follows the patient and tracks interventions regardless of the floor.
Could that system be a part of your system level change? To hear more details on the call, click here.
The Hospitalist Project
Are your hospitalists involved in the CKD Project?
The CKD Statewide Coalition is exploring opportunities to create CKD awareness for hospitalists. One of the coalition member organizations currently has a great opportunity to identify CKD at the point of entry into the hospital and make critical referrals while the patient is still in-house. Upon discharge, the hospitalist can create smooth transitions by communicating with the CKD patient's PCP for needed follow-up.
The project would include presentations to hospitalist teams and sharing of clinical pathways for CKD. Join our next call for more information on this project.
The Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Florida
FMQAI serves as the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization and End Stage Renal Disease Network (ESRD Network 7) for Florida. With a strong reputation as a leader in facilitating change and collaboration, FMQAI implements projects and conducts case review activities to improve care across all settings, including dialysis and transplant facilities.
This material was prepared by FMQAI, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for Florida, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS Policy.FL2009F73T1C1711537www.fmqai.com
According to an article recently released by VascularWeb, major changes in medicare's coding and documentation requirements will be effective as of January 1, 2010, but the adjustments are expected to be good for the bottom line of most surgeons.
As discussed in the latest issue of 
Are your hospitalists involved in the CKD Project?
FMQAI serves as the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization