The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) established the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Quality Initiative in 2004 as part of its ongoing efforts to improve the quality of dialysis care provided to ESRD patients. This initiative supports quality improvement efforts among providers and makes available quality information that will enable patients to participate in making health care decisions.

The backbone of CMS’s ESRD information system is CROWNWeb—the Consolidated Renal Operations in a Web-Enabled Network. ESRD networks and dialysis facilities use CROWNWeb to enter and submit patient and clinical quality of care data to CMS.

Registering for access to CROWNWeb

To access CROWNWeb, ESRD Network and facility staff must register for a QualityNet Identity Management System (QIMS) account by completing both parts of the online QIMS Account Form:

• Part A (general QIMS account information) - Must be completed, printed, signed by the End User Manager and Security Official, and sent to the QualityNet Help Desk.
• Part B (CROWNWeb portion, which defines a user's CROWNWeb role and scope), PDF - Must be completed in order to access the CROWNWeb system. Part B must be downloaded, printed and provided to the End User Manager for signature and configuration in CROWNWeb.
• Security Training - Must be completed by each QIMS applicant within the prior 12 months. A signed copy of the Certificate of Completion must be provided as part of the QIMS application process.

Receiving User ID and Password

When a new account is created QIMS, the system will generate e-mail notifications to account holders providing the User ID and temporary Password (in separate messages). The new user will be asked to log in to the QIMS system, using the Manage QIMS Account links at left to create a new password. Users will then be ready to access QIMS and/or the CROWNWeb system when they are available.

Updating personal information

Registered CROWNWeb users may use the Manage QIMS Account link at any time to establish their security questions, reset their passwords, or update their personal information. For detailed instructions, see the QIMS User's Manual.

Questions and more information

For more information, see the QIMS QuickStart Guide (PDF-2.2 MB). For questions regarding CROWNWeb or QIMS, contact the QualityNet Help Desk at (866) 288-8912 or qnetsupport-esrd@sdps.org.