2024.2.21 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 02212024.mp4

Newly required 2728 fields (Jump to recording 09:35 - 26:22)

• Anitha created a spreadsheet separating those fields that are new to this version of the 2728 and are required
• See spreadsheet for details: 2023form2728RequiredFields.xlsx

Document SOGI modifications (Jump to recording 03:46 - 09:24)

• Form has been updated and scheduled for posting end of this month (Feb)
  • Will there be a communication plan to announce the form is posted?
  • One of the first of the communications will be at the 3/14 town hall
  • There will be FAQs and user training
  • A news flash will also go out; Porsche will look into
    
  • Can the tentative release date for early May for EQRS be shared with the community?
    • There are no dates on any of the materials
    • Don't want to hold CMS or the LDOs/networks to any dates
• SOGI is a federal/CMS form; aligning all of their agencies

• #8 Sex at Birth - Pronouns removed
  • Since they are being removed from the form, they will also be removed from Patient in EQRS
• #9 Gender Identity - Removed Cisgender; Genderqueer
  • Nathan pointed out the old options for #9 align with what the CDC says they are doing
  • With this change just mentioned CMS will have different options than the CDC
  • Need to follow up with the CDC (Action Item Porsche)

Will gender identity and pronouns also be able to be submitted for the monthly and 2746 forms after the 2728 form transitions? (Jump to recording 26:50 - 28:38)

• • Pronouns are being removed and Gender identity is being updated as part of recent updates to 2023
  • Changes to the 2728 will also be captured in the 2746
  • The 2746 is still in PRA; nothing on the PRA website is final at this time
  • If 2728 goes live before 2746 is cleared, then 2746 will not collect gender identity information

Peritonitis - updated guidance (Jump to recording 31:20 - 52:24)

• Program is not requiring any additional system updates at this time related to Peritonitis
• They did receive guidance back from the CDC
• See the Infection Data Submission Requirements document for details: Infection Event Data Submission Requirements_updated.CDC feedback 2.21.2024.docx and EQRS Peritonitis Questions to CDC_Final_18Jan2024.docx
  • Provides answers to questions from the EDIs
  • Provides guidance and suggestions

• There is a bug in the 2744s
• Facility names and addresses are pulled directly as they appear in EQRS
• Modifications are not pulled on them, but the assumption that data is entered according to the facility
• It is suggested for the option to have all facilities listed as all caps - listing dialysis facilities, addresses and names in all capital letters instead of title casing in EQRS
• It has been decided to go ahead and list all addresses and names of dialysis facilities in all caps in EQRS
• It will remain the same in EQRS as it is now but with Care Compare site everything will be capitalized for consistency
• Per Michael Kennedy, EQRS let people have title casing because that was one of the original requirements; when certification letters came in, that information was entered into the patient registry by the networks; facilities don't enter that information themselves
• When EQRS was providing extracts the information is pulled just like it is in EQRS
• Michael does not think there is anything that EQRS needs to do
• Porsche confirmed, nothing is going to happen in EQRS

• Porsche discussed the in-person meeting internally
• The in-person meeting has been organized and led by DaVita/EDIs 
• If EDIs are planning another in-person event and would like CMS participation, CMS will make sure they are there
• CMS will make sure the appropriate staff is in attendance

• EQRS team has determined to have the capacity available for future PIs
• The teams will build in capacity to make sure they develop business description documents alongside the requirement documents

• The next EQRS release will have the 2744 fix regarding discharges in 2024 that were not being counted properly and where a patient's county could be incorrectly removed if a patient demographics batch file was submitted without the county included
• The release may go out this week; no confirmed date at this time

DaVita 

FMC 

DCI

RHA 

US Renal 

Innovative Renal Care

Administrative Reminders

• If any Production issues are encountered, please submit a Helpdesk ticket.  This will allow the EQRS team to better track the issue and progress.
  • 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, 02 Jun 2024
  • Sun, 07 Jul 2024
  • Sun, 04 Aug 2024
  • Sun, 01 Sep 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: 06 Mar 2024