Transplantation Quality Improvement Activity (QIA)

Treatment by Transplant

Kidney transplant is considered the optimal choice for treatment for ESRD patients. Treatment with transplant increases quality of life and decreases the risk of mortality and morbidity. With 12 transplant centers throughout the network (VA, MD, DC, and WV), we encourage all patients to be evaluated for candidacy. The network will work closely with patients, providers, and facilities and provide supportive measures in an effort to meet the goals set forth by CMS.
      
2025-26 NATIONAL GOALS:

• Increase the number of patients added to the kidney transplant waitlist by 20%
• Increase the number of patients receiving a kidney transplant by 30%

Interventions

• 5-Diamond Patient Safety Program: Transplantation module

 

Patient Engagement Interventions

 

Peer Mentoring

• • NKF Peers https://www.kidney.org/treatment-support/peers
    • Utilize NKF Peers for support and education. Encourage patients to become trained mentors or to connect with one. Patients who are currently on the waiting list or are going through work up have lived experiences that they can share with their peers.
    • Share Peers Flyer (English and Spanish)

• • • Market your trained mentors
      • Poster template under development
    • NKF Resources for patient assistance in getting their story out to find a living donor.
      • NKF Big Ask, Big Give

• • • • NKF Big Ask, Big Give flyer
        
      • How to Share Your Story and Find a Living Kidney Donor 
      • Tips for writing a letter or social media post to your friends, family, and/or community
    • Include transplant patients in lobby days. Patients who are going through workups or waitlisting also have valuable life experience to share about this process
       

Life Planning

• SMART Goals Worksheet 
  • IDT should be familiar with this framework to assist patients in identifying self-directed goals for the care plan that may lead to home transitions.
• Tie infection into QOL goals in care plans.
  • Examples:
    • • X wants to get on the waitlist for a transplant. A transplant will free her from dialysis so she can go on family vacations and participate in the activities.
      •  “I (Mr. X) hate dialysis. It makes me feel terrible. Sticking to the diet is awful. And it takes up too much of my time. I believe transplant will provide me with better health and happiness. I will get a referral for an evaluation and will follow up with any recommendations.” 

QAPI

• • Include patients in QAPI to discuss Transplant measures
    • Remember, patients do not have to be physically present to participate. They can attend virtually. They also do not have to be present for the entire meeting. It is okay to focus on just 2 or 3 measures that are important to the facility or the patient.
    • Talk about where the facility is currently with the measure and what the goal is. Share the proposed intervention(s) or brainstorm. Encourage patients to provide feedback on barriers, patient motivators and interventions.
  • Create an interactive bulletin board. Use the 5 Easy Steps Flyer for guidance. Provide data that helps tell the story the facility wants to impact, such as:
    • The number of patients on the waitlist over the year(s) who are active versus deactivated. Perhaps you have a trend in reasons for the deactivations that you can highlight.

 

Webinars

January 30, 2025

NKF Peers Program Webinar Recording:

Are You Struggling to Increase Your Home and Transplant Rates? NKF Peers Can Help

Facility Data Dashboard

Facility Dashboard Login – please contact the Network for username and password

 

Network 5 Contact

Elizabeth Nuschke, RD
Phone: (804) 320-0004 x2710
enuschke@qualityinsights.org

Downloadable Resources

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