Patient and family stock photo

Patient engagement is an integral part of improving patient health and patient outcomes. As first step toward increased patient and family member engagement, we at Midwest Kidney Network needed to learn more about what ESRD facilities were already doing. We asked facilities in our 5-state region to share their challenges and best practices.

Challenges and Suggestions

Facilities reported that time, transportation, and coordination of team schedules were significant barriers to increased patient engagement. In addition, facilities offered the following suggestions to make improvements.

  • Educate patients in the earlier stages of  Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
  • Communicate frequently with family members or caregivers.
  • Encourage patients to talk with family members.
Resources

ESRD National Coordinating Center (NCC) resources:

CAHPS fact sheet (uploaded June 2023): click here

Improving Patient and Family engagement for both professionals and patients: 

If you have questions, please reach out to: Renae Nelson

Phone: (651) 644-9877 ext. 106

Email: renae.nelson@midwestkidneynetwork.org

Please do not send patient-specific data (name, SSN, DOB, etc.) to Midwest Kidney Network via email as this is a CMS Security Violation and will be reported as such. You may only use the EQRS ID/UPI # when referencing a patient via email message to Midwest Kidney Network.