If your question is not listed here, please contact the helpdesk by sending an e-mail to DialysisData@umich.edu, or by filling out the contact us form.
Log-In Questions
How do I log in to dialysisdata.org?
From an Internet browser, you will go to www.dialysisdata.org.
To login as a user and view your DFCC and DFR reports, please login using your email address and the user password that you created.
To login as a facility Master Account Holder (MAH) and to add or edit users, please login using your CCN/Medicare number and the MAH password provided to by your network.
To login as an ESRD Network, State Survey Agency, or ESRD Region MAH: please login using your Network/State/Region username and the password provided to you by DialysisData.
What do I do if I forgot my password?
User accounts: If you have forgotten your individual user password, click on the “Request New Password” link on the dialysisdata.org homepage and enter your email address when prompted. An e-mail will be sent to you with instructions on how to create a new password.
Facility Master Accounts: Master Account Holder (MAH) passwords cannot be reset via the website. If you need the facility MAH password, please contact your ESRD Network.
I don’t have a username. How do I get one?
If you've logged in previously, your username is your email address, and your password is one that you created yourself. If you've never logged on, the Master Account Holder (MAH) for your dialysis facility, ESRD Network, State Survey Agency, or ESRD Region may create individual log-in credentials for you and other authorized users. Please contact the MAH to request an individual account.
What do I do if my account is locked?
Accounts lock-out after three consecutive failed attempts. If you have tried to log in multiple times, your account may be locked. Please wait one hour before attempting to log in again. After one hour without any failed login attempts, your account will be automatically unlocked. If you still do not know what your password is, please see the “What do I do if I forgot my password” section above.
What do I do if I'm logged in, but I still can't see my reports?
In order to view the reports, you need to be logged in as an individual user and not the Master Account Holder (MAH). Your individual username is your email address. If you are logging in as an individual user and are still unable to see the reports you are looking for, your MAH may not have given you access. Please contact your MAH and ask them to grant you access to view your reports
Who is the MAH?
If you are a facility representative: Each facility is responsible for designating their own Master Account Holder (MAH), but typically it will be the Clinic Manager or Unit Administrator. Each facility should have received their Master Login Credentials from their Network in October, approximately one month prior to the Preview Period. If you no longer have your Master Login credentials, please contact your ESRD Network to receive them. Once logged in, MAHs may create individual user accounts and set permissions for authorized individuals.
If you are a State Surveyor or Region Representative: A list of State and Region MAHs can be found at this link. Once logged in, MAHs may create individual user accounts and set permissions for authorized individuals.
If you are a Network representative: A MAH username and password was sent to each ESRD Network Executive Director. Once logged in, MAHs may create individual user accounts for authorized individuals.
How do I update Facility-level MAH information?
Once logged in as the Master Account Holder (MAH), a box on the left side of the page indicates the current MAH. To update the MAH contact information, please click the “Edit Master Account Holder Info” button. You may manually edit the current contact information using the form.
If credentials are passed on within your facility to a new MAH, the contact information may be changed to reflect a new contact person.
Our MAH is no longer employed here. Who do we need to contact?
If you are a facility representative: Each facility is responsible for designating their own Master Account Holder (MAH), but typically it will be the Clinic Manager or Unit Administrator. Each facility should have received their Master Login Credentials from their Network approximately one month prior to the Preview Period. If you no longer have a copy of it or are a new facility, please contact your Network to receive your Master Login Credentials and to have your new person set up as the Master Account Holder. Once logged in, MAHs may create individual user accounts and set permissions for authorized individuals. Once logged in, please update the MAH Contact Info.
Please note that MAH passwords will not be reset unless you believe the MAH has been compromised (e.g., credentials “leave” with former employees). Facilities may contact UM-KECC or your Network for help with this, but you will receive your new credentials from your Network.
As the MAH, how do I create access for others?
Log in to the secure site as the Master Account Holder (MAH) using the Master Login Credentials. On the “Create/Edit Users” tab, click the “Create New User” button. Fill in the requested information. A link to set up the account password will be emailed to the new user’s email address.
If you need to grant access to an existing user to view/comment on your reports, you can click the "edit" button for that user and adjust the permissions accordingly. Instructions are available for this process here.
Other Questions
When will my report be available?
Reports will be made available on the first day of the Preview Period.
What do I do if the provider numbers listed in my report are wrong?
If any of the facility identification information on your report is incorrect, please log in to your account to submit a correction as a DFR comment.
What happens if my facility undergoes a change of ownership during the reporting year?
If a facility receives a new CMS certification number it is treated as a new facility. The new report includes information reported under prior ownership only if the old provider number is retained.
How were the statistics for my report calculated, and what data was used?
Guides for the reports and detailed explanations of the calculations are located on the DFCC Methodology and DFR Methodology pages.
Where can I download the ESRD QIP Performance Score Report and Performance Score Certificate?
The QIP reports can be found on QualityNet. Please go to https://www.qualitynet.org/ to review your QIP report. If you need assistance, the QualityNet helpdesk number is 866-288-8912.
Dialysis Facility Report (DFR) Questions
Who receives a DFR?
Medicare-certified dialysis facilities active anytime during the four-year reporting period receive a DFR. Facilities certified on or after January 1 of the current year, will not receive a report. If a facility undergoes a change of ownership and obtains a new CMS certification number, a separate Dialysis Facility Reports (DFR) will be created for both the old and new provider numbers if it occurred within the four year reporting period.
What do I do if the data in my DFR do not match the data I submitted?
For details about the inclusion criteria and calculation methodology for each measure reported in the DFR, please refer the Guide to the Dialysis Facility Report. If you suspect that the inclusion criteria were not appropriately applied to data submitted by your facility or would like additional clarification on how the process was applied to your facility, you may login to your account and submit a Dialysis Facility Report (DFR) comment.
Quarterly Dialysis Facility Compare (QDFCC) Preview Period Report Questions
How is my facility’s Star Rating calculated?
Please see the Technical Notes on the Star Rating for the methodology on how the Star Rating was calculated.
What is required in order to receive a Star Rating?
In order to receive a Star Rating, a facility must have at least one measure reported in each of the empirically derived domains of grouped measures. The three domains are Standardized measures (SMR, SHR, STrR), Other Outcomes 1 (AV fistula and tunneled catheter percentage), and Other Outcomes 2 (Kt/V, hypercalcemia). Please see the Technical Notes on the Star Rating for more details.
Is there a relationship between the DFCC Star Rating and the ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP)?
No. The DFCC Star Rating and the ESRD QIP were developed separately.
Where can I find information from CMS regarding the ESRD quality measures posted on Dialysis Facility Compare (DFCC)?
For information on the DFCC ESRD quality measures publically reported for dialysis facilities, we direct you to DFCC section of the CMS website. An overview of the program and links to additional resources can be found here: https://www.medicare.gov/dialysisfacilitycompare/#about/what-is-dfc
How is a facility’s performance on the DFCC ESRD Quality Measures communicated to the facility and the public?
Facilities are allowed to preview their DFCC quality measure several months prior to public reporting. This preview occurs quarterly. Once the preview period closes, the measures are provided to CMS and are made available to the general public on Dialysis Facility Compare. See the timeline for more information.
What facilities receive a QDFCC Preview Period Report?
A QDFCC Preview Period Report is created for all active Medicare-certified dialysis facilities reported on Dialysis Facility Compare. New dialysis facilities may not appear for several months after being certified by Medicare.
What do I do if the data in my QDFCC Preview Period Report do not match the data I submitted?
For an explanation of the inclusion criteria and calculation methodology for each measure reported in the QDFCC Preview Period Report, please review the appropriate section of the Guide to the Quarterly Dialysis Facility Care Compare Report. If you suspect that the inclusion criteria were not appropriately applied to the data submitted by your facility or would like additional clarification on how the process was applied to your facility, you may log into your account and submit a Dialysis Facility Compare (DFCC) comment.
What resources are available if facilities cannot answer a patient’s questions about the quality measures reported on Dialysis Facility Compare?
Facilities should contact the local ESRD Network for any unresolved questions log into your DialysisData.org account and submit a Dialysis Facility Compare (DFCC) comment.