Empowering Partners for Improved Care

Empowering Partners for Improved Care is a Patient & Family Engagement Module that addresses three focus areas important to CMS:

• Quality Assessment & Performance Improvement (QAPI): The facility’s governing body will hold monthly QAPI meetings, as is required by the ESRD Conditions for Coverage (§494.110), and include at least one patient/family representative as part of the membership.
• Life Plan: Facilities will utilize tools developed by the NCC designed to provide patients the opportunity to share their personal experiences, values, preferences and life goals in preparation for plan of care development.
• Peer Mentoring: Facilities will assist the Network in recruiting appropriate patients to serve as Mentors, supporting them through the training process, and pairing them with Mentees.

Interventions 

• Empowering Patients for Improved Care Toolkit

​QAPI

• Monthly Reporting Link (reporting periods open on the 28^th of that month and close the 5^th of the next month; Please use this link to report any months in which you had at least one (1) patient/family/caregiver attend a QAPI meeting.)
• Patients in QAPI: Tips for an Effective Partnership
• Because Your Voice Matters (NCC factsheet for patients)
• Help Patients Understand Their Role in QAPI (NCC factsheet for staff)
• Questions Answered (Updated as new questions are submitted)
• Understanding and Participating in QAPI (NCC learning module for patients)
• QAPI (NCC learning module for professionals)

Life Plan for Plan of Care

• My Dialysis Plan- Tools and resources developed by UNC Kidney Center (also available in Spanish)
• NCC KidneyHub - Life Plan tools and resources
  • Goal Setting: Getting Back to Me (NCC Patient Workbook)
  • My Plan, My Care (for patients)
• Medical Education Institute tools and resources:
  • Goal Setting Worksheet
  • Patient Interests Checklists (different lists for patients at different stages of journey)
• Questions Answered (Updated as new questions are submitted)
• NCC Learning Module: Creating a Life Plan
  • learning module for professionals
  • learning module for patients

Peer Mentoring

• NCC Kidney Hub- Peer Mentoring Modules and Resources
• Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program Guidelines (for patients)
• Peer Mentoring FAQ (for patients)
• Mentor Invitation Poster
• Mentor Invitation Flyer
• Mentor Marketing Flyer
• Terrie’s Story (Video)
• Questions Answered (Updated as new questions are submitted)
• MentEE Education Flyer

Resources 

• Regis College guide: 5 Strategies for Streamlining Patient Engagement in Health Care
• World Health Organization: Patient Engagement: Technical Series on Safer Primary Care
• Peer Up! Program
• Additional QAPI Resources
• NCC KidneyHub Patient Web Tool
• MEI LifeOptions resources and tools