Originally Posted by rninformatics
From IHealthbeat
April 04, 2008
Dialysis Centers Required To Use EHRs Under Medicare Rules
New Medicare rules require dialysis centers to provide patients with an individualized plan, electronic health records and defibrillators in every unit, Bloomberg News/Arizona Daily Star reports.
The new rules incorporate developments in standards of treatment and care since the regulations were established in 1976, according to CMS. The changes reflect CMS' efforts to improve care quality, including promoting widespread use of EHRs to track patient care and encouraging providers to follow nationally recognized standards, Bloomberg News/Daily Star reports.
Barry Straube, Medicare's chief medical officer, said the new rules are not expected to cost dialysis facilities more money because other provisions are being eliminated, including requirements for a long-term care plan.
Dialysis centers will have 180 days, rather than the typical 60 days, to comply with the new rules because of the scope of the changes, Straube said (Marcus, Bloomberg News/Arizona Daily Star, 4/4).
Wow, Does it mean that all dialysis RNs have to be ACLS certified? I guess we can't use the defibrillator without ACLS certification.