The Dialysis Data Flow Tour

Data transfer and reporting in QA Dialysis

We would like to take you on a trip through the data jungle of the German health care system - from the dialysis facility to the German Associations of SHI Physicians (Kassenärztliche Vereinigungen, KV) and the trust authority (Vertrauensstelle, VST) to MNC and finally into the report.

Medical Netcare - Management in Health Care

From the dialysis facility to the trust authority (VST)

All associated data and values of dialysis are collected. The collected data from all dialysis centers in Germany is transferred to Medical Netcare at the end of each quarter.

Daten buendeln und verschluesseln_3schluessel_flach

Data collection in the dialysis facility

Data processing in the Association of SHI Physicians (KV)

Pseudonymisation by the trust authority (VST)

The collected data of the quarter is bundled and encrypted on the server of each dialysis facility. This bundled data packet is sent to the responsible Association of SHI Physicians (Kassenärztliche Vereinigung).

The Association of SHI Physicians (Kassenärztliche Vereinigung) can only decrypt that part of the data that contains the billing data relevant for the Association. The data is read out and then removed from the data packet. In the next step, the data is transferred to the trust authority (VST) to replace the lifetime electronic health card numbers (that can identify a person) with pseudonyms.

The trust authority (VST) can only read a small part of the data: the health card number of dialysis patients. The VST replaces the lifetime electronic health card number with a unique pseudonym by means of a secret algorithm. Only the VST itself knows the encryption secret. To recalculate the original numbers is impossible.

What data is collected?

Medical Netcare - Management in Health Care

What data is collected?

Data collection during dialysis procedures

Each dialysis procedure is documented. In addition to date and duration of the dialysis procedure, some blood values and the (w)Kt/V are detected. The data is stored in the practice management system and is tied to a special data packet at the end of each quarter. The data is encrypted with different keys. As a result, every actor can only decrypt that part of the data that is intended for him.

from the data receipt...
...to the report

What data is collected?

encrypted with the key of MNC

QA data

unique pseudonym
age, weight, height and gender
method of renal treatment: hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis
(w)Kt/V

additional information in hemodialysis

date and duration of each dialysis procedure
type of vascular access (e.g. tunneled catheter, shunt, etc.)

Benchmark data

encrypted with the key of the particular reporting body

blood test results such as calcium, phosphate, etc.
ESF dose
Comorbidities such as diabetes, CHD, etc.

Data for shipping and billing

Encrypted with the keys of the trust authority (VST) or of the Association of SHI Physicians (KV) respectively

Sender and addressee (VST)
billing data (KV)

Medical Netcare - Management in Health Care

From data collection to the report

MNC receives the QA data packets. After decryption and data validation, the report production starts.

Data reception and decryption by MNC

Data validation by MNC

Report production by MNC

The QA data reaches MNC while the benchmark data flows to one of the 5 reporting bodies. The received data packet is decrypted one last time. The pseudonymised unencrypted QA data is now available and the processes of data validation and report production can begin.

As soon as all data of a quarter is received, decrypted and read into a database, we check the validity of the data by means of a standard procedure. The data quality in the QA dialysis was already very good from the beginning. Usually, there are no problems and the report production can begin.

The parameters dialysis duration, dialysis frequency and wKt/V are calculated for each patient. In a second step, parameters are calculated for each dialysis facility. Finally, data flows into about 700 facility reports and 17 reports for the Associations of SHI Physicians (Kassenärztliche Vereinigungen).

submission of reports

submission of reports via the Association of SHI Physicians

Only 8 weeks later

the reports are usually available

The reports are made available for download to the Associations of SHI Physicians. When the download is completed, the Associations distribute the reports to the dialysis facilities in the area covered by the particular Association. Dialysis facilities can address either their Association or Medical Netcare if questions or problems should arise.

Do you have any questions about your report? Or do you feel inspired to start a new project with us? Please get in touch through one of the contact options listed below or you can use our contact form.

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