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

For access to CROWNWeb, ESRD network and dialysis facility staff must register for an account by completing the registration form (PDF). The form must be printed legibly, signed by the applicant and the applicant’s manager, then given to the ESRD network or facility Security Administrator for processing. The Security Administrator will use the QualityNet Identity Provisioning System (QIPS) to establish a user account.

Receiving User ID and Password

When a new account is created, QIPS will send 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 QIPS using the Manage QIPS Account link at left to create a new password. Users will then be ready to access CROWNWeb when it is available in early 2009.

Updating personal information

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

Questions and more information

For more information, visit the CROWN Help Desk Customer Portal for a searchable knowledge base of frequently asked question (FAQ) topics. You can also view the QIPS User QuickStart Guide, PDF. For questions regarding CROWNWeb or QIPS, contact the CROWN Help Desk at (888) 377-3431 or support@crownhelpdesk.com. (Do not contact the QualityNet Help Desk.)