TMF Health Quality Institute seeks physician practices for diabetes project

Across the United States, more Americans are dying from chronic kidney disease than breast cancer and colon cancer combined, and the incidence of CKD is climbing due to increased prevalence of diabetes and hypertension—the leading risk factors for the disease. Currently, Texas has more than 130,000 Medicare patients with CKD, making the Lone Star State second only to California.

TMF Health Quality Institute, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Texas, is seeking practices treating patients with diabetes to join a CKD initiative.

Early detection along with appropriate interventions can substantially delay kidney failure. While kidney damage is irreversible, slowing the disease and building awareness of the illness can help patients preserve their kidneys.

For a limited time, TMF is administering a statewide project that collaborates with primary care practices, nephrologists and other specialty physicians. Their goal is to make gains in early diagnosis and management through free on-site consulting on the following:

• Assistance in identifying internal process changes that can lead to improved health outcomes and increased patient and staff satisfaction,
• Assistance with identification of CKD quality measures to target for improvement, and
• Personal, onsite coaching and continuing staff education on quality improvement methodology and CKD-related issues.

Onsite consulting and other educational activities will focus on improving the following CKD quality measures:

• Timely testing of urine microalbumin to identify early kidney disease due to diabetes,
• Prescription of an ACE inhibitor and/or angiotensin receptor blocking (ARB) agent to slow the progression of CKD in hypertensive patients with diabetes, and
• Increased use of arteriovenous fistula (AV fistula) as first choice for individuals who elect hemodialysis as their treatment for kidney failure.

For more information on this project, call (866) 439-8863 or e-mail kidneyhealth@tmf.org. Additional information can be found online at kidneyhealth.tmf.org.