MEI and Home Dialysis at DTX42
Last week, some of the MEI team traveled to Las Vegas for the the DialysisTechConneXion 42 (DTX42), the National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists (NANT) annual conference.
This conference is created by nephrology clinical technicians and biomedical technologists for nephrology clinical (dialysis*) technicians and biomedical technologists. A goal of DTX is to ensure that technicians understand their roles in fostering positive organizational culture, develop excellent clinical skills to provide quality care, and build interdisciplinary relationships to improve outcomes for patients and the larger community.
We really saw a lot of that in action: it’s a very positive conference! Sessions at DTX42 focused on patient perspectives, infection control and prevention, vascular access, home dialysis, new trends and technologies, and pathways to career growth for the estimated 600 attendees.
MEI exhibited this year because we produce the Core Curriculum for the Dialysis Technician—the premier training manual for dialysis technicians, the basis for the BONENT and NNCC certification exams, and a comprehensive, low-cost onboarding tool for companies in the dialysis industry—and we released the 7th edition (“CC7”) last year.
The newest (and first post-COVID) edition of the Core Curriculum has expanded content on infection control, vascular access, disaster preparedness, home dialysis—including an entire new chapter on peritoneal dialysis, social determinants of health, and professionalism. We are also a CE provider, and have lots of resources (like practice tests!) for technicians and educators to use as they prepare for certification and progress in their careers.
“Where is the Blue Book?”
At our booth, we were asked several times about the Core Curriculum. We had copies of the CC7 with us, but most attendees were familiar with the CC6—which has a blue cover. So, they did not recognize the new book because everyone present had learned from a previous edition. Some even reminisced about the CC5. We wished we’d brought copies of previous editions to help make the new (rainbow) one more identifiable. Lesson learned, and we appreciate that feedback!
During exhibit hours, we met technicians and technologists from all over the USA. Many were sponsored by their organizations to attend for the first time and were absolutely thrilled to be there. Everyone we met was energetic, happily networking, and proud of their careers. They value their skills, enjoy access to and are motivated by continuing education, and strive to provide excellent care to patients.
Technicians are the backbone of our industry, and have more face-to-face contact with patients than other staff in most clinical dialysis settings. We were delighted to see how many preceptors were present, as well as how many preceptors attending specialized in home dialysis training programs. Strong preceptorship and teaching abilities are invaluable, and it’s great to know the educators returned to their home clinics this week with new perspectives and information to share with their teams.
*Note: NANT encourages and advocates that the term Nephrology Clinical Technician (NCT) be used to refer to technicians involved in direct patient care and the term Nephrology Biomedical Technologist (NBT) be used for technologists who work with dialysis equipment. The previous terms Patient Care Technician (PCT), dialysis technician, “tech”, etc. are slowly being replaced to reflect acknowledgement of professional skillsets, national certifications, and role distinctions.
I had a lot of fun showing technicians our UFR Calculator. This free tool shows the ultrafiltration rate for a proposed treatment on a color-coded scale. Patients are “in the green” when their UFR is <8mL/kg/hr and “in the red” when their UFR is >13mL/kg/hr.
Technicians do a lot of reinforcement patient education on fluid removal, and the calculator makes the concept of organ stunning less abstract and easier to visualize without getting hung up on the math. Even though it’s hosted on Home Dialysis Central, the UFR calculator is valuable for all HD educators to know about and use in all settings. It can save lives! In our MEI store, we have postcards (free for the cost of shipping), and wipeable HD machine stickers with QR-codes (as shown) to help drive awareness.
Technicians who enjoy talking
with patients and supporting their informed choices throughout life also
learned about My Kidney
Life Plan, a free treatment matcher that educates
about options using a patient-first (vs. modality first)
approach. They were encouraged to show their patients how to
use the tool to make conversations with their providers more
productive.
We also have postcards (free for the cost of shipping) to enhance lobby education days or give to patients who can use the tool independently and email the results to their doctors. It is our hope that expanding use of My Kidney Life Plan will improve patient decision making and modality awareness.
For those attending who focus on home dialysis, we pointed to Home Dialysis Central, and our active, 8000-member Facebook Group, where patients, partners, and professionals learn and share knowledge.
Here's a picture of Kristi Klicko, our MEI Director of Operations and me with our friend Clarica Douglas-Ajayi, CHT the current President of NANT. Clarica is an amazing person and helped us tremendously as a reviewer and contributor to the CC7.
We had a great time at DTX42 and it was lovely connecting with everyone. As for MEI, we are heading to the NKF Spring Clinical Meeting in Boston this week and hope to see you at booth #902.
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