The University of Michigan Kidney and Epidemiology Cost Center (UM-KECC), develops, maintains, and updates the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Quality Measures for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), under the Quality Measure Development and Maintenance contract with CMS. These include the Dialysis Facility Compare (DFC) Measures and the development of new quality measures that will be implemented in the future. Several of CMS’s current and new Quality Measures will be used by CMS in the CMS ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP). In addition, UM-KECC works with CMS’s Measures Management System (MMS) in the development, evaluation, and reporting of the current ESRD Quality Measures.
Ongoing Technical Expert Panels
Dialysis Facility Quality of Patient Care Star Ratings
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has contracted with The University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (UM-KECC) to act as the quality measure developer and technical content support contractor for Care Compare on Medicare.gov, under the Kidney Disease Quality Measure Development, Maintenance, and Support contract (contract number 75FCMC18D0041, task order number 75FCMC18F0001). As part of this contract, UM-KECC convenes technical expert panels (TEPs) to obtain consumer and provider input for quality measure development and the Medicare.gov Dialysis Facility Quality of Patient Care Star Rating (Star Rating). We seek nominations from individuals with relevant clinical and methodological experience, expertise, and perspectives, including ESRD patients with dialysis experience to serve on this TEP.
TEP meetings are scheduled for February 17, March 3, and March 15, 2022.
Meeting agendas and Zoom details
TEP Charter
TEP membership LIst
Effective Availability and Utilization of Home Dialysis Modalities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has with the University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (UM-KECC) to develop facility-level measures in the area of modality education for dialysis patients. The contract name is Kidney Disease Quality Measure Development, Maintenance, and Support. The contract number is 75FCMC18D0041, task order number 75FCMC18F0001. As part of its measure development process, UM-KECC convenes groups of stakeholders and experts who contribute direction and thoughtful input to the measure developer during measure development and maintenance. UM-KECC has been tasked by CMS to develop dialysis facility quality measures that allow measurement of differences across U.S. dialysis facilities’ effectiveness of education of patients about dialysis modality options (i.e. In-center vs. home dialysis) and/or effective utilization of home dialysis modalities in the treatment of chronic kidney failure.
TEP meetings are scheduled for March 24, April 14, April 22, May 13, May 20, and July 14, 2021.
Meeting agendas and Zoom details
TEP Charter
TEP Membership List
Practitioner Level Measurement of Effective Access to Kidney Transplantation
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has contracted with the University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (UM-KECC) to develop practitioner-level measures in the area of access to kidney transplantation for dialysis patients. The contract name is Kidney Disease Quality Measure Development, Maintenance, and Support. The contract number is 75FCMC18D0041, task order number 75FCMC18F0001. As part of its measure development process, the University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center convenes groups of stakeholders who contribute direction and thoughtful input to the measure developer during measure development and maintenance. UM-KECC has been tasked by CMS to develop practitioner level quality measures that allow measurement of patient’s access to kidney transplantation. Topic areas may include waitlist, referral, education, and other related issues.
Meeting agendas and Zoom details
TEP Charter
TEP Membership List
Past Measure Development and Implementation Activities
Summary of Public Comment on New Measures to be reported on Dialysis Facility Compare
Read the Public Comment Summary Report from the 2018 comment period
Read the Public Comment Summary Report from the 2017 comment period
Read the Public Comment Summary from the 2015 comment period
Patient Reported Outcomes Report
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) tasked the University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (UM-KECC) with developing recommendations that investigate avenues for acquiring the evidence, data, and infrastructure necessary to implement patient-centered measures and patient reported outcomes. Read the Patient Reported Outcomes Report.
Patient Reported Outcomes Focus Group Summary Report
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) tasked the University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (UM-KECC) to convene focus groups to review draft questions on patient safety and patient life goals. The Patient Reported Outcomes Focus Group Summary Report summarizes the feedback received from both patient and provider specific focus groups on draft questions sets for patient safety and patient life goals. Read the Patient Reported Outcomes Focus Group Summary Report.
Technical Expert Panel Summary Reports
Access to Kidney Transplantation (April 2015)
Emergency Department Visits (May 2016)
- Documentation for proposed measure, Standardized Ratio of Emergency Department Encounters Occurring Within 30 Days of Hospital Discharge (ED30) for Dialysis Facilities
- Documentation for proposed measure, Standardized Emergency Department Encounter Ratio (SEDR) for Dialysis Facilities
DFC Star Ratings (February 2017)
Patient-Reported Outcomes (May 2017)
Medication Reconciliation and Management (July 2017)
Physician Level Measures (February 2018)
2014 Dry run of the Standardized Readmission Ratio (SRR) for Dialysis Facilities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), through a contract with the University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (UM-KECC), recently provided dialysis facilities with confidential reports of their results on the Standardized Readmission Ratio (SRR) for dialysis facilities through a national dry run held March 31 – May 2, 2014. Download the report.
Quality Measure Information
CMS and UM-KECC submitted 15 measures for NQF review in 2015, 11 of which received endorsement. The specifications for each measure are listed below. For information on how measures are implemented on DFC, please see the Guide to the Quarterly Dialysis Facility Compare Reports and the measure specifications on the DFC Methods page.
In addition, CMS and UM-KECC submitted 5 measures to NQF for review in 2016. Those measures are also included below.
Dialysis Adequacy
- Minimum Delivered Hemodialysis Dose (NQF # 0249 – reserve status)*
- Delivered Dose of Peritoneal Dialysis Above Minimum (NQF # 0318)*
- Minimum spKt/V for Pediatric HD Patients (NQF # 1423)*
- Measurement of nPCR for Pediatric HD Patients (NQF # 1425)*
- Minimum Delivered Peritoneal Dialysis Dose (NQF #2704)
- Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Adequacy: Achievement of Target Kt/V (NQF #2706)*
Vascular Access
- Hemodialysis Vascular Access: Long-term Catheter Rate (NQF #2978)*
- Hemodialysis Vascular Access: Standardized Fistula Rate (NQF #2977)*
Mineral and Bone Disorder
Mortality
Hospitalization/Readmission
- Standardized Hospitalization Ratio for Dialysis Facilities (NQF #1463)*
- Standardized Readmission Ratio (NQF #2496)*
Anemia Management
- Monthly Hemoglobin Measurement for Pediatric Patients (NQF # 1424)**
- Standardized Transfusion Ratio for Dialysis Facilities (NQF #2979)*
*Currently publically reported on the Dialysis Facility Compare (DFC) Website
**Currently publically reported only in the DFC Downloadable Database on Data.Medicare.Gov