CMS SOM App. H, Tag V562

The patient care plan must include,

as applicable, education and training for patients and family members or caregivers or

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both, in aspects of the dialysis experience, dialysis management, infection prevention and

personal care, home dialysis and self-care, quality of life, rehabilitation, transplantation,

and the benefits and risks of various vascular access types.

Interpretive Guidance § 494.90 (d)

Patient education and training must be provided in a manner that both meets the patient’s needs

and addresses their preference for dialysis care and management. Each dialysis patient and/or

their family member or caregiver must be offered the availability of information for each of the

subjects within this requirement. While some subjects will apply to all dialysis patients, i.e.

education on aspects of dialysis, including the dialysis experience, dialysis management, and

infection prevention and personal care, others will apply to individuals on a case-by-case basis

and determined by their needs and desires.

Based on their assessment and expressed interests, patients should be informed of their options

for managing their renal disease, which may include education for in-center dialysis, home

dialysis or self-care, physical rehabilitation services, palliative care, and/or transplantation.

The scope of these discussions will be determined by the needs of the patient.

The IDT should have the skills and expertise needed to educate dialysis patients in these

subjects, and to provide this education in a manner understood by the patient and

family/caregiver.

Patients/designees must receive education regarding the types, risks, benefits and care of their

vascular access, personal hygiene related to dialysis access, infection prevention, dietary and

fluid management, etc. The patient’s medical record must demonstrate the provision of patient

education and training in the listed subject areas, as applicable. There may be a single form or

section of the medical record for information on patient education or it may be located in

various parts of the record, such as the progress notes of the members of the IDT.