title: Monitoring quality of care at dialysis facilities: a case for regulatory parsimony--and beyond.
abstract: With the issuance of the new Conditions for Coverage in 2008 and the implementation of the Prospective Payment System in 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has fundamentally altered the regulatory landscape of quality in the ESRD program. Although these changes-largely through use of tools comparing individual facility performance to regional and national quality expectations-have increased facility accountability for the quality of patient care in many quarters, they have also complicated both substance and process of facility adherence to quality rules in that component of the program. This editorial critically assesses the main quality tools now in use for dialysis facilities and reviews the issues arising from their conjoint use. A scheme for improving the effectiveness of each quality tool is proposed, and an assessment of their future value and effectiveness in quality improvement is offered.
authors: Northwest Kidney Centers; Division of Nephrology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98122, USA. jstivel@u.washington.edu
authors: John C
authors: JC
authors: Stivelman
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D019985:Benchmarking / Q000592:standards; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D033161:Government Regulation; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006291:Health Policy; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000592:standards*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States