Superior Patient Clinical Outcomes Confirms DaVita's Leadership Position on Quality Dialysis Care
July 07 2008 - 7:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Outcomes data confirms that the risk of mortality faced by patients
at DaVita facilities may be 8% lower than the national average EL
SEGUNDO, Calif., July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- DaVita Inc., a
leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with
chronic kidney failure and disease (CKD), significantly exceeds
national averages with regard to patient quality, as validated by
both the Clinical Performance Measures Report published in 2006 by
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the
December 2007 Fistula First Vascular Access Improvement Initiative.
This achievement is notable among the nation's kidney care
community because DaVita(R) serves more than 1-in-4 dialysis
patients in America. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020729/DAVITALOGO) "At
DaVita, our highest priority is the health and well-being of the
more than 100,000 patients cared for by our professional partners
and teammates," said Kent Thiry, CEO of DaVita. "We're pleased that
this commitment has once again been validated by the findings from
CMS." Research studies show that patients who meet all four of the
CMS Clinical Performance Measures (CPM) and the National Kidney
Foundation's (NKF) Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative
(KDOQI) achieve the lowest mortality.(a,b) Outcomes data confirms
that the risk of mortality faced by patients dialyzed at DaVita
facilities may be as much as 8% lower than the national average.
DaVita consistently surpasses national averages for CMS CPM and
KDOQI outcomes. Most recently, DaVita outperformed the national
averages by as much as 44% on four key clinical performance
outcomes. A recent study that compared the mortality trends for the
major dialysis providers found that DaVita had a significant
improvement in survival compared to non-chain facilities.(c) DaVita
% Favorable Performance Indicator DaVita National Average to the
National Average Kt/V < 1.2 5% (1) 9% (2) 44% improvement (lower
is better) Fistula In Use 50.0% (1) 48.5% (3) 3% improvement
Albumin < 3.5 g/dL 18% (1) 20% (2) 10% improvement (lower is
better) Mortality 17.0% 18.6% (4) 8.6% improvement (lower is
better) (1) DaVita Inc., Q1 2008; (2) 2006 CMS Clinical Performance
Measures Report (most recently published data; results from 2005
calendar year); (3) Fistula First National Vascular Access
Improvement Initiative Website (http://www.fistulafirst.org/),
results from December 2007. (4) 2007 USRDS Annual Data Report (most
recently reported data; results from 2005 calendar year, Table J
16) "An important part of measuring and tracking our clinical
performance is through the DaVita Quality Index, or DQI," explained
Dr. Allen Nissenson, DaVita Chief Medical Officer. "The DQI focuses
on the performance of seven key clinical parameters, giving
physicians a snapshot of how the patients in their clinics are
performing. We have seen a clear correlation over the past five
years of using the DQI that as overall DQI scores improve, overall
mortality decreases." "By focusing on clinical training and
continuous quality improvement, we are able to partner with
nephrologists," said Robertson. "As a doctor still in practice
myself, I want my patients to feel their best and enjoy their
lives. DaVita's tools and teammate training help me reach these
goals." DaVita is a registered trademark of DaVita Inc. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners. About
DaVita Inc. DaVita Inc., a FORTUNE 500(R) company, is a leading
provider of kidney care in the United States, providing dialysis
services and education for patients with chronic kidney failure and
end stage renal disease. DaVita manages more than 1,300 outpatient
facilities and acute units in more than 700 hospitals located in 43
states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 107,000
patients. As part of DaVita's commitment to building a healthy,
caring community, DaVita develops, participates in and donates to
numerous programs dedicated to transforming communities and
creating positive, sustainable change for children, families and
our environment. For more information about DaVita, its kidney
education and its community programs, please visit
http://www.davita.com/. Reference List a. Tentori F, Hunt WC,
Rohrscheib M, Zhu M, Stidley CA, Servilla K, Miskulin D, Meyer KDB,
Bedrick EJ, Johnson HK, Zager PG. Which Targets in Clinical
Practice Guidelines Are Associated with Improved Survival in a
Large Dialysis Organization?, 1998 to 2004. J Am Soc Nephrol 18:
2377-2384, 2007. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2006111250. b. Wolfe RA,
Hulbert-Shearon TE, Ashby VB, Mahadevan S, Port FK. Improvements in
dialysis patient mortality are associated with improvements in urea
reduction ratio and hematocrit, 1999 to 2002. Am J Kidney Dis 2005;
45(1):127-135. c. Duong, Uyen, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Kovesdy,C,
Mehrotra, R. Mortality Trend of Hemodialysis Chains in the USA:
1996-2004. National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meeting 2008.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020729/DAVITALOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: DaVita Inc. CONTACT: Basak
Ertan of DaVita Inc., +1-310-536-2482 Web site:
http://www.davita.com/
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