Introduction: With onset of the first COVID-19 wave in March 2020, the Victorian Department of Health (DH) engaged the Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System Coordinating Centre (VICNISS) to develop a system to monitor hospital patients with COVID-19. We describe the development and evolution of this program.
Methods: A secure on-line reporting module was created using the VICNISS platform. Standardised data specifications and definitions were established to monitor hospitalised patients, including: demographics, COVID-19 status at time of admission, daily location, ICU admission and ventilation status. Hospital users were registered and provided with educational/helpline support. Hospitals and DH were able to generate real-time reports. VICNISS followed up data discrepancies, queries and/or failure to report.
Results: Weekly validation was introduced in June 2020 to confirm all hospitalized COVID cases had been reported. Upon DH request, VICNISS undertook a lookback in September 2020 to identify hospital-acquired COVID-19 infections. Historical COVID-19 episodes were reviewed and classified according to internationally-accepted definitions. In early 2021, an algorithm using these definitions was applied prospectively to inform hospitals immediately if a submitted COVID-19 case was hospital-acquired. COVID-19 vaccination status was further added to data submission in April 2021, in order to inform policy.
Conclusion: A system that successfully captures data to inform Victoria’s COVID-19 case management capacity was rapidly deployed by leveraging the existing platform used by hospitals for infection prevention and control surveillance activities. Post-implementation enhancements improved efficiencies and timeliness of reporting to support responses and risk mitigation within Victorian facilities.