Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) has announced that its KidneyCare:365 chronic kidney disease (CKD) health programme has been awarded Population Health Program (PHP) accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
According to a company press release, KidneyCare:365 is a premier value-based programme providing care coordination to people living with CKD—working in close partnership with their physicians and physician networks, including InterWell Health.
As part of its value-based care programmes, FMCNA leverages data to power proprietary predictive models that aim to slow kidney disease progression and reduce hospital admissions, the release adds. More than 50% of private payor programme participants over the past five years have selected home dialysis or kidney transplant when transitioning from CKD to kidney failure. Additionally, planned starts to outpatient dialysis under these value-based care programs are two times the national average, the release states.
“The accreditation of our extensive and well-regarded programme validates the work we are doing in partnership with insurance providers to slow the progression of kidney disease and improve outcomes for patients,” said David Pollack, president of FMCNA’s Integrated Care Group. “Our KidneyCare:365 programme delivers the most advanced care coordination available for the largest number of patients living with kidney disease.”
The KidneyCare:365 CKD health program supports people living with late-stage CKD through personalised education, hands-on support, and expanded care coordination activities, to help better manage their often complex and chronic conditions including diabetes, hypertension, and behavioural health.
In addition to earlier intervention and prevention, KidneyCare:365 provides extensive education about kidney disease and related comorbidities, the importance of seeing a nephrologist, eating well and healthy living with support from dietitians and social workers, and treatment options for kidney failure—including transplant and home dialysis—the release notes.
It also states that the KidneyCare:365 CKD health programme received NCQA PHP accreditation following a lengthy and detailed process. This involved an in-depth review of the programme from both the operational and clinical point of view including data management, case management by CareTeam:365 nursing staff, educational materials, predictive models aided by artificial intelligence, ongoing collaboration with physicians, and a wide range of quality improvement initiatives.
“Population Health Management accreditation helps us better measure quality, programme outcomes and the efforts at more personalised care that is necessary for these initiatives to be successful,” said NCQA president Margaret E O’Kane. “To earn accreditation, a programme must have the highest level of commitment to improving quality of care and making an impact on the lives of each patient.”
