This may not be Dialysis related but I needed to share this.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
CKD Legislation
Thank you to everyone who submitted letters to their state representatives regarding the proposed Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) education legislation. Our voices were heard and we are excited to announce very positive results! The final bill, Kidney Disease Education (KDE), went into effect January 1, 2010, and includes much needed benefits for both patients with Stage 4 kidney disease and health care providers.
The legislation states that Medicare will cover up to six one-hour face-to-face pre-End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) education sessions concerning modality choices. This legislation is designed to ensure that patients will have the opportunity to actively participate in their choice of therapy. In particular, the sessions should be designed to provide comprehensive information regarding:
* The management of comorbidities, including delaying the need for dialysis
* Prevention of uremic complications
* Options for renal replacement therapy (including peritoneal dialysis, home hemodialysis, in-center hemodialysis, as well as vascular access options and transplantation)
The KDE bill also allows for health care providers to be reimbursed for providing CKD education to Stage 4 CKD patients. Health care providers will be reimbursed at a rate of approximately $108* per individual session (HCPCS code G0420). Group sessions (between 2-20 people) will be reimbursed at a rate of approximately $26* per person (HCPCS code G0421).
Together, we were able to ensure this landmark legislation became law and help over 900,000 people in the United States with Stage 4 kidney disease. Now, more than ever, patients will be empowered to select a therapy option that best meets their needs and lifestyle.
If you would like to learn more about the new Kidney Disease Education (KDE) bill and how Baxter can assist with your education program, please contact your local sales representative at 1-888-736-2543, option 4.
The legislation states that Medicare will cover up to six one-hour face-to-face pre-End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) education sessions concerning modality choices. This legislation is designed to ensure that patients will have the opportunity to actively participate in their choice of therapy. In particular, the sessions should be designed to provide comprehensive information regarding:
* The management of comorbidities, including delaying the need for dialysis
* Prevention of uremic complications
* Options for renal replacement therapy (including peritoneal dialysis, home hemodialysis, in-center hemodialysis, as well as vascular access options and transplantation)
The KDE bill also allows for health care providers to be reimbursed for providing CKD education to Stage 4 CKD patients. Health care providers will be reimbursed at a rate of approximately $108* per individual session (HCPCS code G0420). Group sessions (between 2-20 people) will be reimbursed at a rate of approximately $26* per person (HCPCS code G0421).
Together, we were able to ensure this landmark legislation became law and help over 900,000 people in the United States with Stage 4 kidney disease. Now, more than ever, patients will be empowered to select a therapy option that best meets their needs and lifestyle.
If you would like to learn more about the new Kidney Disease Education (KDE) bill and how Baxter can assist with your education program, please contact your local sales representative at 1-888-736-2543, option 4.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Transplant!!!!!
Awesome!!! one of my Primary patients received a Kidney transplant on Sunday!!!! This was from the Kidney transplant list(non-living donor). So please people sign your license for donation cuz this is one of the best examples that life does go on if you will please help it!!!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Monday, November 16, 2009
Your cause, Support Organ and Tissue Donation, has reached 7,500 members!!!
Your cause, Support Organ and Tissue Donation, has reached 7,500 members! I got this notification in my facebook tonight and how very appropriate!
I had just left our PD(Peritoneal Dialysis) office and had to wait at a usually long traffic light. I looked over to my right and next to me at the light was a former primary HD patient of mine. Since I had seen this fellow I had heard that he had received a Kidney Transplant via the list. I hit my horn quick we rolled down windows and we had a short exchange. I said Congratulations on the transplant.
As a Dialysis Nurse it is such a thrill and so satisfying to have a connection with a patients that are transplant recipients. It is the ultimate Option and it is the way it should be for all ESRD Patients. In our PD office in the past 6 months there have been 5 Patients transplanted. Again it is so so Awesome!!!
I had just left our PD(Peritoneal Dialysis) office and had to wait at a usually long traffic light. I looked over to my right and next to me at the light was a former primary HD patient of mine. Since I had seen this fellow I had heard that he had received a Kidney Transplant via the list. I hit my horn quick we rolled down windows and we had a short exchange. I said Congratulations on the transplant.
As a Dialysis Nurse it is such a thrill and so satisfying to have a connection with a patients that are transplant recipients. It is the ultimate Option and it is the way it should be for all ESRD Patients. In our PD office in the past 6 months there have been 5 Patients transplanted. Again it is so so Awesome!!!
Monday, November 9, 2009
PD Cycler Time Commitment
I wanted to talk a bit today about an option inside of options. For ESRD patients there are four basic options: Transplant, PD(peritoneal dialysis),HD(hemodialysis) and to do nothing and go without treatment.
Some may notice that my order puts PD in front of HD and my reason for this is that PD would be my choice before HD and I would recommend PD before HD to anyone seeking my advice. This choice is based upon a lot of PD advantages but in short it is the kinder and gentler dialysis.
Once PD has been chosen there two options inside of PD. CAPD(continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis) these are manual bag exchanges usually done four times throughout the day.
The other is CCPD(continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis) these are automated exchanges while connected to a small machine overnight.
When I begin the CCPD training for patients there seems to be a common misconception as to time commitment needed to receive adequate CCPD. The patient mindset seems to be that whatever their normal sleep time is will be equal to their total CCPD treatment time. When doing CCPD it is very common that your total treatment time can be nine or more hours. This is because the nighttime cycler prescription is written for several cycles and each cycle has a drain/dwell/fill time and again this is necessary for the Patient to receive enough dialysis.
Once the Patient understands this requirement it is almost never enough to deter them from doing CCPD. I think that this PD shortcoming in information can be avoided in the future by including this cycler information in whatever options program your system may provide. Hopefully this post will help too!
Some may notice that my order puts PD in front of HD and my reason for this is that PD would be my choice before HD and I would recommend PD before HD to anyone seeking my advice. This choice is based upon a lot of PD advantages but in short it is the kinder and gentler dialysis.
Once PD has been chosen there two options inside of PD. CAPD(continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis) these are manual bag exchanges usually done four times throughout the day.
The other is CCPD(continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis) these are automated exchanges while connected to a small machine overnight.
When I begin the CCPD training for patients there seems to be a common misconception as to time commitment needed to receive adequate CCPD. The patient mindset seems to be that whatever their normal sleep time is will be equal to their total CCPD treatment time. When doing CCPD it is very common that your total treatment time can be nine or more hours. This is because the nighttime cycler prescription is written for several cycles and each cycle has a drain/dwell/fill time and again this is necessary for the Patient to receive enough dialysis.
Once the Patient understands this requirement it is almost never enough to deter them from doing CCPD. I think that this PD shortcoming in information can be avoided in the future by including this cycler information in whatever options program your system may provide. Hopefully this post will help too!
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