Information for Professionals

The ESRD Network of Texas provides, maintains and manages four areas of information and resources for the ESRD community. The Network is responsible for Information Management of both patient and facility data, Quality Improvement, Patient Services and Community Outreach for the state of Texas. The Network assists providers in establishing and maintaining dynamic, ongoing quality management and outcomes assessment programs through services and programs offered.

The Network develops and maintains criteria and standards that are reviewed and revised by the Medical Review Board, as necessary. The Criteria and Standards are used to guide the ESRD community in providing appropriate and quality care. Criteria and Standards are recommended practice standards within the Network and are utilized to:

  • Create quality improvement studies
  • Guide facility practice
  • Provide standards for medical review decisions
  • Provide standards for complaint/grievance investigations

The Network can provide facility staff with comparative outcome data, copies of state and federal guidelines, advice on QI projects and assistance with difficult patients, complaints/grievances and staff training or retraining. The Network staff can participate and facilitate specific improvement projects onsite upon request. The majority of Network support focuses on quality of care issues (such as hemodialysis adequacy, peritoneal dialysis and vascular access management), accurate and timely data collection (such as PAR, 2728, 2746 and 2744 forms), maintaining positive patient/staff relationships and providing useful information and resources to support ongoing quality of care throughout Texas.