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About DCI - DCI Quality Management Program

The primary goal of the DCI Quality Management (QM) program is to optimize patient well being by providing high quality service in a safe environment. We dedicate ourselves to continuous quality improvement. This ensures the highest quality care today and in the future.

DCI has implemented the necessary structure and process to accomplish the QM goal. The corporate QM committee, comprised of representatives from of DCI clinics meets quarterly. The QM department holds frequent workshops to instruct clinic personnel in QM theory and techniques, and data entry and collection. The QM program is built around the principles contained in the Joint Commission for accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) 10-step model and Deming's Total Quality Management model.

DCI has established corporate-wide goals and objectives. Core quality indicators including Hospitalization rates, Standardized mortality ratios (SMR), Kaplan-Meier survival curves, Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Improvement (K/DOQI) Guidelines, and the ESRD Network Core Indicator Criteria/Clinical Performance Measures are monitored.

Each clinic is responsible for their facility-specific program. Clinical indicators include adequacy of dialysis, anemia, nutrition, osteodystrophy, CV risk factors, morbidity and mortality. Technical indicators for water treatment, dialyzer reprocessing, and equipment maintenance are also reviewed.

Monitoring quality indicators and giving feedback to individual clinics are the cornerstones of our QM program. Population-based studies enable us to examine variations in medical practice, conduct resource planning, identify and monitor morbidity and mortality levels among populations, and define targets for patient education. The DARWIN Applications are used for management of QM data. The indicator data are extracted and downloaded in a uniform manner quarterly or as needed, and are analyzed using Statistical Analysis System (SAS).

QM reports provide information on specific clinics as compared to DCI aggregate data. The data collection, management and analysis capabilities of the QM program enable DCI to facilitate research in ESRD. The following is a sample of reports provided to our clinics.