Fresenius Kidney Care Connects to Nationwide Data Exchange Network to Improve Care Coordination

National Rollout Enables Easier and More Timely Access to Individual Health Information for Dialysis Patients

WALTHAM, Mass. - Oct. 5, 2020 - Fresenius Kidney Care, the dialysis services division of Fresenius Medical Care North America and the nation's leading network of dialysis facilities, is deploying CommonWell health data exchange services to all of its dialysis facilities, enabling near real-time exchange of individual patient health information. With the connection to the CommonWell Health Alliance interoperability network and its bridge to the Carequality interoperability framework, care team members can locate, exchange, and view patient health documents from more than 600,000 providers and 2,800 hospitals across the country.

The exchange enables the provider network to access dialysis treatment records for any patient treated at Fresenius Kidney Care and better coordinate care with patients' other participating providers. Because people living with kidney failure often have multiple comorbidities, many are routinely treated in other facilities and hospitals outside the dialysis center making access to health information critical.

The document exchange is made possible within the company's existing Cerner technology for managing patient health records. Examples of health information accessible on the exchange network include discharge summaries and emergency room visits.

"Ensuring all healthcare providers have the most up-to-date records when our dialysis patients receive care is vital to providing the best treatment and outcomes possible," said Mike Asselta, President of Fresenius Kidney Care. "By implementing this leading national exchange, we are taking another important step toward better coordinated care for all patients living with kidney failure."

"We're pleased to have Fresenius Kidney Care as part of the growing Carequality community via their participation in CommonWell," said Dave Cassel, executive director of Carequality. "Access to health information for those treating chronic kidney patients has great potential to boost outcomes for these vulnerable patients who often have complex health needs."

Fresenius Kidney Care recently began implementing these data exchange services in select states and dialysis centers and will continue to expand these services in the coming months. Several studies have shown that use of health information exchange (HIE) systems can decrease the number of hospital emergency room visits and reduce readmission rates.^1,2
 

1.  Chen, M., Guo, S., & Tan, X. (2019, February). Does health information exchange improve patient outcomes? Empirical evidence from Florida hospitals. Health Affairs, 23(2), 197-204. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05447
2. Vest, J. R., Kern, L. M., Campion, T. R., Silver, M. D., & Kaushal, R. (2014). Association between use of a health information exchange system and hospital admissions. Applied Clinical Informatics, 5, 219–231. http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2013-10-RA-0083

About Fresenius Kidney Care
Fresenius Kidney Care, a division of Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), provides dialysis treatment and support services to more than 200,000 people with kidney disease every year whether in their own homes or at more than 2,600 facilities nationwide. Fresenius Kidney Care's dedicated teams help address the physical and emotional aspects of kidney disease through personalized care, education, and lifestyle support services. For more information about Fresenius Kidney Care, visit www.FreseniusKidneyCare.com.