May: The Dish provides a monthly update to participating sites enrolling in the MQii Learning Collaborative.
Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative

Learning Collaborative

May 24, 2019

The Dish

The Dish provides a monthly update to participating sites enrolled in the MQii Learning Collaborative.

Spotlight: Transitioning from
Tier 2 to Tier 1 to Use Data to Inform Your Quality Improvement Efforts

Resources to Help You Transition into a Data Sharing Site

Over the past year, many of you have expressed interest in transitioning from a Tier 2 MQii Learning Collaborative site (implementing a malnutrition quality improvement (QI) project only) to a Tier 1 MQii Learning Collaborative site (implementing a malnutrition QI project plus submitting electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) data for performance calculation and benchmarking). MQii participation in Tier 1 has helped participants both quantify the magnitude of their existing gaps in care as well as monitor and evaluate the success of their quality improvement efforts to close those gaps. All Tier 1 participants share de-identified data on the malnutrition quality of care at their facility (note: no protected health information is shared). In turn, participants receive performance feedback and anonymized benchmarking reports throughout the year. Given the heightened interest in Tier 1, we have created a new video to walk you through the process and key considerations for transitioning to a Tier 1 site. Should you wish to transition to a Tier 1 site, please reach out to the MQii Team for assistance. You can also see below for more information and resources on the transition process.

A few key activities you will need to undertake in order to participate at the Tier 1 data sharing level are outlined as follows: 

  1. Approach and engage your IT/informatics/database management team at the hospital. The goal of this engagement is to seek their help beginning to map data in your Electronic Health Record (EHR) to the necessary data elements required for reporting the performance measures. The Tier 1 Onboarding Checklist provides suggested steps for moving forward in a systematic way.

  2. Complete a Tier 1 Participant Agreement, which outlines how data will be shared and includes a data use agreement component to facilitate necessary data exchange.

  3. In partnership with your IT/informatics team, review the Data Transmission Template. This outlines how data will be captured and shared with the MQii team, including a data dictionary which shows the proper formatting of the data elements required for eCQM reporting. Of note, there are four sections in this template. The first section includes an introduction with a data set description, overview and schedule, and a data dictionary. The second section is the acute template, which reflects “standard” data collection necessary for the malnutrition eCQMs. You also have options to report additional data on interventions in the third tab and discharge planning and transitions of care (post-discharge) in the fourth tab, should these be of interest to your facility.

  4. Confirm Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval to move forward with de-identified data collection and transmission. Most sites find this project is either exempt from review or receives expedited review and approval. You can submit the IRB Protocol to your IRB for consideration. We recommend first reaching out to them to describe the project and the QI purposes behind it to better determine the best route for submission.
    • We also provide a Central IRB Approval Letter, which indicates IRB approval from an independent IRB review organization and may make your facility’s IRB review faster. However, you must pursue approval through your own internal IRB since we are unable to support individual facilities’ review through the third-party reviewer.

If you have any questions or would like to talk about the Tier 1 transition process further, reach out to your MQii Point of Contact!

Learning Collaborative Participant Resources

Engaging Your Leadership and Gaining Buy-In

Many of you have been requesting MQii resources related to helping hospital administrators understand the importance of malnutrition care and obtaining leadership buy-in. Please see below for links to a few helpful resources on this topic. As always, do not hesitate to reach out to your MQii Point of Contact for additional information!

What's Around the Corner?

Expert Webinar: Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam Mini-Session: Wednesday, May 29 at 11 AM ET

Join us on Wednesday, May 29 at 11 AM ET for the MQii Expert Webinar, “Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam Mini-Session.” During this live webinar, participants will have the opportunity to hear from a certified Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam (NFPE) trainer regarding best practices for performing an accurate and effective assessment. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions and troubleshoot any NFPE challenges they may be encountering. The session will:

  1. Highlight the NFPE as a tool for assessing patients for malnutrition;
  2. Provide training to familiarize attendees with process and approach for the NFPE; and
  3. Address questions regarding the NFPE by a certified trainer.

After this 60-minute webinar, participants will be familiar with the NFPE and will be able to begin using their NFPE skills to help identify malnutrition among patients. Attendees will be eligible to receive one hour CPEU credit for their participation.

 

The webinar will feature Beth Mordarski, RDN, LD, NFPE Program Manager at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and certified NFPE Workshop Trainer. Beth has over 17 years of clinical experience, which assisted Beth in the development of the Academy’s Nutrition Focused Physical Exam Hands-on Training Workshop and NFPE Pocket Guide. She finds it rewarding to be able to pass on the NFPE skills to fellow dietitians across the United States and the world. Beth enjoys being a dietetic intern preceptor for graduate students and actively participates in research related to NFPE and malnutrition.

Please register for the webinar in advance here. We encourage you to send any questions you have for the speakers in advance of the webinar to [email protected].We hope you can join us!

In case you missed it: If you missed previous MQii Learning Collaborative expert webinars, you can access webinar recordings and slides on the MQii Member Portal. You will also find other member-only content, including educational webinars and archived “Dish” newsletters, on this site. As a reminder, the login information is as follows: Username: MQii Password: MQiiLC2018!

Consider Opportunities to Share Your MQii Project and Findings!

Society for Medical Decision Making Now Accepting Submissions

Consider submitting an abstract for a poster on your malnutrition quality improvement project to the Society for Medical Decision Making (SMDM) 41st North American Annual Meeting! The event will be held in Portland, Oregon from October 20-23, 2019. The submission deadline is May 28, 2019 at 11:59 PM PT. For more information, visit the SMDM Website. 

Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo Accepting Late-Breaking Submissions

Consider submitting an abstract for a poster on your malnutrition quality improvement project to the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE)! FNCE is the premier event for food and nutrition professionals, showcasing the latest nutrition science information, food service trends, and access to the top experts. The call for late breaking abstracts opened May 1, 2019 and closes May 30, 2019 at 5:00 PM CT. For more information, visit the Posters and Abstract Presenters page. 

Next Steps 

  • Attend upcoming webinars and Coffee Breaks if you have questions regarding your malnutrition quality improvement efforts
    • Coffee Breaks are open-format, interactive sessions that allow participants to discuss their interventions and receive QI project support, as well as address any challenging questions related to eCQM and outcomes data extraction. Participants are encouraged to attend and bring their questions, suggest ideas to other participants who are encountering obstacles, or just listen in and be inspired by the discussion. Use the link below to register for the next Coffee Break:
  • Share your progress with your MQii Point of Contact – we want to hear about any developments you’ve experienced, as well as any challenges you might be encountering
  • Fill out your Project Charter once you identify plans for your malnutrition quality improvement project(s)

Follow us:   

Avalere Health | An Inovalon Company
 1350 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
If you no longer wish to receive these emails,  click here to manage your subscriptions.