Effectiveness of ultrasound-guided cannulation of AVF on infiltration rates: A single center quality improvement study.

Though ultrasonography is increasingly used throughout the spectrum of hemodialysis access, its role in outpatient dialysis units in the United States has been limited so far. This may, in part, be due to limited ultrasound exposure, knowledge and training of dialysis staff. We implemented a quality improvement initiative in our dialysis units to expand the use of ultrasound by our frontline dialysis staff to prospectively evaluate newly placed AVF and guide cannulation.

The Effect of Adoption of an Electronic Health Record on Duplicate Testing.

Background. The electronic health record (EHR) has been promoted as a tool to improve quality of patient care, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. There is little data to confirm that the use of EHR has reduced duplicate testing.