ASN's Excellence in Patient Care is expanding the efforts that the Nephrologists Transforming Dialysis Safety (NTDS) Vascular Access Workgroup began in 2016 through a new initiative, Transforming Dialysis Access Together (TDAT). TDAT's scope will optimize dialysis access care, including peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. This initiative will be multifaceted and crosscutting along the spectrum of dialysis access care.
ASN has recruited thought leaders in dialysis access, including patients, nephrologists, interventionists, radiologists, surgeons, training program directors, technicians, and nurses, to provide leadership and content expertise across five key domains. Domain goals include:
Domain 1
TDAT will seek opportunities to establish multidisciplinary partnerships to leverage consensus statements, clinical practice guidelines, innovative techniques, and related initiatives to optimize and improve dialysis access care, especially in assessing access maturation, cannulation, or connection and in reducing errors, infections, and complications.
Domain 2
TDAT will develop educational curricula incorporating the fundamentals of dialysis access into nephrology fellowship training programs utilizing regional educational programs, “train-the-trainer” formats, and virtual and in-person didactic sessions.
Domain 3
TDAT will expand continuing educational programs through novel educational opportunities focused on dialysis access and seek to develop a “one-stop-shop” platform that is interactive, case based, and supportive of skills assessment and improvement.
Domain 4
TDAT will advocate for dialysis access through the establishment of regulatory and legislative priorities in partnership with ASN policy initiatives, the US Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Transitional Add-on Payment Adjustment for New and Innovative Equipment and Supplies, CMS Transitional Drug Add-on Payment Adjustment, and CMS Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology, among others.
Domain 5
TDAT will address and accomplish dialysis access justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion by advocating for more significant federal and private investments in determining the reasons for the imbalance among underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, ensuring appropriate inclusion of these underserved communities in clinical trials, and developing a framework for dialysis access care equity.
We look forward to sharing updates as the initiative gets underway.
