The new initiative, the Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition, has a goal to expand the use of CDC recommendations and tools available to improve dialysis patient safety.
The CDC believes the number of infections can be cut in half if dialysis facilities follow the CDC’s Core Interventions for Dialysis Bloodstream Infection Prevention. Through the coalition, the CDC will provide checklists, audit tools, instructional videos and training to participating members.
Member institutions committed to educating staff, raising patient and worker awareness of the problem and helping implement CDC recommendations. Founding members are:
- American Association of Kidney Patients
- American Kidney Fund
- American Nephrology Nurses Association
- American Society of Nephrology
- American Society of Pediatric Nephrology
- Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
- CMS
- National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists
- National Kidney Foundation
- National Renal Administrators Association
- Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission
- Renal Physicians Association
- Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America
“Dialysis patients are particularly vulnerable to infections. We want to get lifesaving tools into the right hands to make a real impact on patients’ lives,” said Priti Patel, MD, medical director of the Making Dialysis Safer for Patients Coalition. “These dialysis leaders are committed to changing the way care is delivered in U.S. dialysis facilities.”
Click here for more information on joining the coalition.
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