Quality in Practice E-Newsletter
Quality in Practice is a monthly newsletter from the Doctor's Office Quality Teams.
Read the Current Issues
February 2010: Improve CRC Screening Rates by Addressing Barriers, Most Adults Not Getting the Vaccines They Need, CKD Provider Education: “Hypertensive and Antihypertensive Agents in CKD,” Learn More About the “30-20-10” Rule for Renal Care, What Pharmacists Want You to Know About ACEs and ARBs, Call Us for Free Patient Education Kits.
January 2010: New England Journal of Medicine Covers CKD Care Management, “Save Your Veins” Patient Education Kits Available from TMF, Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative Releases New Change Concepts, Small Decline Found in Renal Disease, “Meaningful Use” Definition Proposed, PQRI Listening Session Scheduled for February.
November 2009: Use These Free Flu-Related Bulletins in Your Office, Updated Information about H1N1 and Seasonal Flu, Medicare Paid $92 Million in Incentives for 2008 PQRI, “Meaningful Use” and Quality Reporting Linked, PCPs and Kidney Disease: Free CME/CNE Webinar, Kidney Disease Rate Rising Worldwide, NKF Offers CME for Diabetes and CKD-Related Topic Areas, Free CKD Patient Education Materials from NKDEP.
October 2009: Immediately Give Flu Antiviral to Sick High-Risk Patients, New CRC Toolbox Designed to Promote Screening Rates in the Practice Setting, Blood Pressure Meds Reduce CKD Risk for Patients with Diabetes, Kidney Disease Incidence Data Released a Year Early
September 2009: CMS Releases Guidance on Incentive Payments for EHR Use, New Web-Based PQRI and E-Prescribing Training Available from Medicare, Colorectal Cancer Screenings Persist Even in “Safety Net” Setting, Audit Process for New HIPAA Rules Unclear, Kidney Disease Linked to Depression, Free Web-Based “School” for Kidney Patients, Free Online Course from American Kidney Fund
Previous Issues
August 2009: Biden and Sebelius Announce $1.2B in Grants for Health IT Adoption, CDC Provides H1N1 Vaccination Planning Information, Help Patients "Pre-Plan" Diabetes Check Ups, Albuminuria and eGFR Are Better Predictors of ESRD
July 2009: FDA Approves Vaccine for 2009-2010 Seasonal Flu, August Is National Immunization Awareness Month, If Diabetes and Hypertension Lead to CKD, How Should We Treat Prehypertension?, High Levels of Growth Factor May Contribute to Risk for CKD
June 2009: What Will "Meaningful Use" Mean?, ACE and ARB Therapy Both Reduce Proteinuria: Are Two Drugs Better Than One?, Will Your CKD Patients Progress to ESRD?
May 2009: Make Your HIT Work for You, ADA Offers Free CKD Webcast, Hypertension Fuels Kidney Disease
April 2009: Diabetes and CKD: A Free 1 Hour Ethics CME, Study Calls for Improved E-Prescribing Alerts, EHRs and Other Innovations Can Re-Shape the Patient-Physician Relationship
March 2009: Diabetes and Hypertension Often the Gateway to CKD, HIMSS and EHR Association Welcome Stimulus Package Funds for HIT, Proteinuria Can Elevate Kidney Disease Risk for Healthy People, Kidney Disease in African-Americans Often Goes Undetected
February 2009: Texas CKD Task Force Ranks Priorities, Researchers Develop Simple Model and Questionnaire for Predicting CKD, Widespread EHR Adoption Could Increase Evidence-Based Medicine
Close the Gap Fax Newsletter
The “Close the Gap: We can eliminate health disparities” fax newsletter is a one-page, bimonthly bulletin aimed at physician office staff. It covered current health issues affecting populations that are historically underserved. The archive of newsletters are posted below. Even if you were not a subscriber, you are welcome to download and share the newsletter with your colleagues in your physician office.
June/July 2009: “Health Disparities Persist in U.S. Health Care” and “What You Can Do”
April 2009: “One in Nine Americans Has CKD” and “Learn More About CKD from ‘The Patient Perspective’”
March 2009: “Diabetes and CKD: How to educate patients about Chronic Kidney Disease” and “Kidney Disease in African-Americans Often Goes Undetected”
Winter 2009: “Clinical Practice Guidelines for CKD” and “CKD Increases More Than 20% in U.S.”
Fall 2008: “Diabetes Increase Is Triggering More Kidney Disease: Prevalence among Hispanics and African-Americans is higher” and “Five Tips for Improving Cross-Cultural Patient Interaction”
Summer 2008: “Culture & Medicine Draws More than 700 Providers: Texas rates at the top for participation in cultural competency project” and “Culture-Based Health Beliefs and Diabetes: Are your patients’ beliefs affecting their outcomes?”