The forum of ESRD networks: past, present and future

The increasing visibility and credibility of the Forum of ESRD Networks in the national ESRD landscape is due, in large part, to the Forum's longstanding and unwavering advocacy for improved ESRD patient outcomes through the application of continuous quality improvement methodologies and the development of a data infrastructure which encompasses a universal patient sample. This advocacy is untainted by the agenda of any single professional constituency, and its success is limited only by the commitment that all stakeholders (payers, providers, and patients) have to the process. The data infrastructure, SIMS-VISION, is almost a reality, and has the potential to significantly improve the quality of care through the provision of provider-specific profiles to drive quality improvement. The application of quality improvement principles themselves will take longer, and requires the commitment of facility medical directors, whom the Forum hopes to reach through its collaborative education project with the RPA. Through its clearinghouse activities, the Forum hopes to foster evidence-based medicine, increasing provider awareness of clinical practice guidelines and other literature which may improve the quality of patient care. The Forum's strategic plans for achieving its goals closely parallel the recommendations of the President's Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry, and emphasize not only the information infrastructure, quality measuring/reporting, and evidence-based medicine, but also enhancing patient participation, building partnerships, and facilitating education and research. The Forum's strategic plan, as reconfigured according to the President's Advisory Commission domains, has been endorsed by the Renal Coalition as the national renal quality agenda, and the Coalition's constituent organizations are exploring projects and funding sources to achieve some of these goals as well.