Patient Self-Care
The Renal Network, under the guidance of CMS, wants to encourage and support patient independence. One of the ways to achieve this goal is to encourage patients to participate in self-care at the unit.
CMS promotes in-center self-care hemodialysis as a way for dialysis patients to gain greater control of and responsibility for their treatment and quality of care. Both patients and staff are invited to learn more about self-care options and its appropriate use and application as a part of treatment.
In addition, the Network can provide technical assistance as needed. If you are interested in starting a self-care unit, contact your state agency regarding self-care certification.
Newsletters:
In Control (formerly the Renal Rehabilitation Report) is a newsletter that appears as a supplement in Nephrology News & Issues (NN&I). Each issue includes articles and information for both patients and staff. It can be ordered through Life Options at http://www.lifeoptions.org/orders.php. The following issues focus on self-care and care planning.
- Integrated Care: Planning for Change (Vol. 4 #4, December 2007)
- In-center Self-Care: New Interest in an Old Idea (Vol. 4 #3, September 2007)
Articles:
Returning Control to ESRD Patients Through Self-Care In-Center Hemodialysis by Susan H Bray, MD, MBE, FACPs. Accessed on 2/18/2008 on Kindey Times.
Self-Care Increases Personal Control by By Mary Ann Webb, RN, CNN, The Renal Network Quality Improvement Coordinator. This articl was first published in the Renal Outreach, Winter 2007/Vol.XVI, No.3.