Tools & Resources

Advancing Health Equity in Dialysis Care: Tools for Inclusive Excellence

Welcome to our Health Equity Resources hub, where dialysis facilities can access essential tools to address disparities and provide culturally responsive kidney care. This collection supports providers in implementing evidence-based strategies that promote equitable access, improve health literacy, and address social determinants of health affecting diverse kidney patient populations.

  • CLAS Checklist: Use this comprehensive checklist to evaluate your facility's implementation of the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS), ensuring your services respect and respond to diverse cultural health beliefs, practices, and communication needs.

  • CLAS Implementation Action Plan: This structured framework helps facilities develop concrete steps to integrate CLAS standards into daily operations, with customizable timelines, responsible parties, and measurement criteria for tracking progress.

  • Health Literacy Roadmap: Navigate the journey toward becoming a health-literate organization with this step-by-step guide that outlines practical strategies for improving how you communicate complex kidney disease information to patients of varying literacy levels.
  • Health Equity Challenges and CMS Resources to Help Address Them: Explore common barriers to equitable kidney care alongside specific CMS resources designed to overcome these challenges, including transportation assistance programs, language services, and community outreach initiatives.

  • Tips for Developing Health Literate Patient Materials: Transform your patient education materials with these evidence-based guidelines for creating accessible content that effectively communicates complex kidney disease concepts to patients across diverse literacy levels.

  • Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy – Short Form: Quickly assess patients' health literacy with this validated screening tool, enabling staff to identify those who may need additional communication support or modified educational approaches.

  • Newest Vital Sign – Health Literacy Assessment Tool: Implement this practical assessment that evaluates patients' ability to understand and act on health information, helping your team tailor communication strategies to individual needs.

  • Health Literacy Toolkit: Improve communication practices throughout your facility, enhancing patient understanding and engagement.

  • Attributes of a Health Literate Organization: Benchmark your facility against these key characteristics of organizations that effectively reduce literacy-related barriers to care, with practical examples specific to the dialysis setting.

  • Health Equity Champion Description: Establish this vital role within your facility using our detailed position description, responsibilities, and suggested qualifications to drive sustainable health equity initiatives.

  • Addressing Social Determinants of Health: Implement structured screening and intervention protocols to identify and address non-medical factors affecting your patients' health outcomes, including food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation barriers.

  • Neighborhood Navigator: Connect patients with community support using this interactive tool that maps local resources addressing social needs, from food assistance to transportation services within your facility's service area.

  • Social Service Resources: Access a directory of programs offering assistance with medication costs, transportation, nutrition support, and other services critical for kidney patients facing socioeconomic challenges.

  • Plain Language Guide: Simplify complex medical terminology with this reference tool providing alternative phrasing and vocabulary for common dialysis terminology, helping staff communicate more effectively with patients of all literacy levels.

  • QIP Health Equity Measures Presentation: View accompanying fact sheet in the resource library below.
  • Kidney Community Health Equity Workgroup Report: Review evidence-based recommendations from this multidisciplinary expert panel addressing systemic disparities in kidney care, with actionable strategies for implementation at the facility level.

Resource Library: Free Downloadable Tools

Our Resource Library offers a comprehensive collection of free, downloadable materials designed specifically for dialysis facilities committed to advancing health equity. These evidence-based resources have been developed by industry experts and are regularly updated to reflect current best practices in culturally responsive kidney care.