2024.11.13 EQRS Program Working Group Meeting

This session will be recorded for the purpose of documenting the meeting minutes and action items. If there are any objections to the recording of this session, please make it known now. Absence of an objection to the meeting being recorded will count as consent to recording this meeting.

Program Working Group Meeting Recording 11132024.mp4

• Updates on error code 13141 for clinical submissions
  • Error code fix will go into Production today, 11/13
  • A message will be sent out to the EDIs when the fix has been moved into Production
  • Kathleen asked if anything could be shared on what was the cause of the error?
    • An explanation will be included in the message that will be sent out to the EDIs
• What is the projected timeline for ESA Medication Module updates?
  • There is no production date yet.  Adrienne will need to ask the team and get back to the group
  • There have been changes to the anemia management module and those changes are in prod preview environment right now
  • Goal is to move the infection work and anemia management work at the same time into production
  • Possibly all these changes will go into production in a couple of months
  • Kathleen asked what changes are in prod preview and what changes to anemia management?
    • Adrienne will have someone from the ADO join a future call to explain the changes in more detail
  • Howard asked if the XML structure would be changing? 
    • Adrienne mentioned it would require changes to the XML and will have someone from the ADO join a future call to explain more on the XML changes
  • Adrienne mentioned nothing will be going to production anytime soon

Data Dictionary and technical documentation Discussion (Jump to recording: 00:19:17 ~ 00:57:33)

Business Definition Document:

• In the last Program Call, we discussed the need for a Business Definitions document, what it should look like, format, etc.
• Porsche will need to take the idea of a separate Business Definitions document back to her internal Program team and see if there is capacity to create a separate Business Definitions document
• Porsche will get back to the group on the feedback and decision by the next Program Call meeting

 2728 Documentation

• Nathan suggested getting rid of the old version of the form
  • What about the 2018 versions that are still saved status that need to be completed?
  • Should we wait until those are cleared out or give it 6 months?
    • Its ok to keep for 6 months
  • There was agreement to get rid of the old tabs, they are not making any XML changes to anything on the old tabs
• Kathleen suggested that the Listed Values column be updated.  Some of the fields that have more than one value have some missing values
• Need to make sure the Listed Values and Definition & Info columns match
• The listed values should be whatever the acceptable values are and either in the Definition or a separate column, put the actual mapping to what the numbers equal
• Suggest having consistency.  Sometimes we sue numbers and map to a value and other times its long strings of words pushed together; some fields have 4 options but sometimes we submit words and sometimes we use numbers on other things
• There is a lot of information (example Demographics) that is pre-populated that the system ignores.  Would be nice to have that more clearly delineated.  Make it clear what is required and not required, where do fields/data come from?
• Maybe have a column where a user indicates if its data sent during batch processing or not required to be sent during batch processing
• Identify the source of the data (for example data is populated with a value from the patient record)
• Date format should go in either the Definition column or its own column no in the Listed Value column
• As changes are being made to the Data Dictionary or any other document, also need to validate that the XSD also aligns with the changes on the other documents

How to best update the documentation?  

1. Talk through the updates and have homework, make updates and come back to the next meeting to review the updates? OR
2. The ADO will make the updates to the technical documentation outside of the Program Call meeting, the EDIs are informed of the updates and then the EDIs have homework to review the updates outside of the Program Call?
   • Suggested from the EDIs to make these meetings as working sessions, make updates real time during the meeting

Form 2728

• Based on the timelines Porsche received from the different corporate entities that they would be completed in updating their systems to account for the 2728 changes, the first target date will be 6/30/2025
• All systems updated to account for all of the changes to the 2728
• Nathan asked if the changes that are happening is that all of the fields will be required or is they want to know when the EDIs can batch in data?
  • Per Porsche - there are no changes
  • They want to know when the EDI systems will be fully updated to account for the totality of the 2728 
  • Initially they only accounted for parts of the form that were required for submission to SSA
  • They didn't want to hold up that submission process to SSA
  • Now need to be able to collect that data as well, even though it's not required for SSA, it is what CMS is collecting for their internal purposes
  • Need to get everyone submitting the rest of the data that will be captured on the 2728

DaVita -

• Nathan requests that when Adrienne has the discussion for the anemia changes can we also have an understanding what's happening with infections?
  • There were additional requirements that were gathered from the CDC and updates were made to the peritonitis module
  • We will walk through the updates in a future Program Call
• There is a new Pneumococcal vaccine (PCV21) that is out and available.  When will it be added as a valid selection?
  • Adrienne will look into this

FMC -

• Kathleen - Care Compare went live.  Her colleague asked if EQRS would be providing the capability to get a summary file in a CSV downloaded from dialysis data?
  • Heather from USRC was able to download her CSV source file out of the EQRS Portal for the care compare reports
  • Heather can share the instructions if needed
  • There is an export everything option which will provide a CSV option
  • Kathleen put in a request for the Care Compare Viewer role for corporate.  She can't approve herself
    • Adrienne suggested to go ahead an email the helpdesk and ask them to approve the role request
    • Kathleen can send Adrienne the ticket number if she prefers
• Question for NCC (Diana) - Is there a timeline when NCC will make changes to their report structure?
  • Other priorities have taken precedence but the EDIs will not see any new reporting or changes through the end of this year

DCI

RHA 

US Renal 

Innovative Renal Care

Administrative Reminders

• CMS requests that all questions and suggestions should go directly to the Service Center.   Please submit through ServiceNow so that a ticket can be created.  This will ensure that your ticket is routed to the correct team and will allow the EQRS team to better track the progress of your ticket.
  • Service Center: 866-288-8912 or qnetsupport-esrd@cms.hhs.gov.
• CMS will refresh data in the EQRS Prod Preview environment on the first Sunday of every month. The planned schedule is below.

• • Sun, 03 Dec 2023
  • Sun, 07 Jan 2024
  • Sun, 04 Feb 2024
  • Sun, 03 Mar 2024
  • Sun, 07 Apr 2024
  • Sun, 05 May 2024
  • Sun, 01 Sep 2024
  • Sun, 06 Oct 2024
  • Sun, 03 Nov 2024
  • Sun, 01 Dec 2024

• • If there are any issues with the scheduled date(s) please notify the team by the Friday before that Sunday when the refresh of data is scheduled to take place
  • If there are any issues encountered with the refresh on Sunday, it will be moved to Monday (next day)

• Next meeting scheduled for: 27 Nov 2024