Call for expression of interest to pilot electronic structured requests and reports

for eSurveillance of Healthcare Associated Infections

Trim 57973

Call for expressions of interest topilot

Structured Microbiology Requests and Reports for

eSurveillance of Healthcare Associated Infections in Hospitals

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) is leading a national project to implement and evaluate the core information components: structured microbiology requests and reports for Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI). ACSQHC is calling for healthcare organisations to pilot the core information components for electronic surveillance of HAI in hospitals, and to report on their utility, and on elements where improvements or modifications are required.

ACSQHC is seeking written expressions of interest from healthcare organisationstopilot electronic structured microbiology requests and reports to support clinical management and surveillance of HAIin their hospital/s. Jurisdictions, private hospital ownership groups, surveillance units, public and private hospitals, and hospital networks, with affiliated pathology providers, are eligible for the pilot.

This document comprises two sections:

  • Project Brief
  • Expression of Interest pro-forma

The Core Information Components: Structured microbiology requests and reports for healthcare associated infections February 2012 are appended.

Healthcare organisations interested in participating in the eSurveillance pilot should read the project brief, and complete the Expression of Interestpro-forma.

Expressions of interest are due by 12pm onMonday 28May2012

and should be sent to:

Ms Elizabeth Hanley

HAI eSurveillance Project

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care

GPO Box 5480

SYDNEYNSW 2001

OR

Inquiries about the eSurveillance pilot project should be directed to Ms Elizabeth Hanley at
PROJECT BRIEF

Project Background

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) are responsible for a significant burden of iatrogenic morbidity and mortality. Each year in Australia there are about 200,000 HAIs[1].

Accurate diagnosis ensures that patients receive appropriate treatment and that correct infection control procedures are put in place.HAI is diagnosed through microbiology laboratory testing which is currently ordered and reported in non-standard content and formats around Australia, despite well established use of electronic messaging for transferring pathology results.

It has been recognised that electronic requesting and reporting of microbiology tests using atomic data in structured formats will improve case management and establish a foundation for efficient, secure electronic surveillance of HAI.

The core information components of structured microbiology requests and reports for HAI have been developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) in collaboration with NEHTA as a best practice clinical and informatics standard for implementation as part of Australia’s eHealth program.

Consultation with a wide range of health professionals, including pathology providers,microbiologists, infectious diseases physicians, infection control professionals and e-health informatics experts, was instrumental in developing and gaining support for the core information components (see Appendix).

Under a Schedule to the Memorandum of Understanding between NEHTA and ACSQHC, NEHTA will develop the technical specification for representation and secure laboratory messaging. The first stage of this work mapped the core information components to HL7 version 2.4.

Aims of the pilot

The aims of the pilot are to:

  • Assess the feasibility of implementingelectronic structured requesting and reporting for the four HAI referenced in the core information components for structured microbiology requests and reports for Healthcare Associated Infections:

-Healthcare associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB);

-Central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI);

-Healthcare acquiredClostridium difficile infection (CDI); and

-Surgical site infections (SSI).

  • Identify any elements of the core information components which require revision
  • Trial electronic surveillance of HAIusing the core information components, and comprising:

-Electronic structured requestsissued from a hospital clinical system to the pathology provider via secure messaging

-Electronic structuredmicrobiology reports of HAIsent from the pathology providerto the hospital (surveillance unit and consultant) via secure messaging

-Receipt of electronic structured microbiology reports by the consultant and the surveillance unit

eSurveillance Pilot Requirements

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) is leading a national project to implement and evaluate the core information components: structured microbiology requests and reports for Healthcare Associated Infections. ACSQHC requireshealthcare organisations to pilot the core information components for electronic surveillance of HAI in hospitals, and toreport on their utility, and on elements where improvements or modifications are required.

The report should be based on local implementation experience of electronic surveillance of hospital HAIs, using the core information components in the Appendix.The report should include, as a minimum:

  • Project governance, objectives, outcomes and timeframes for the pilot project
  • Description of local business requirements, information infrastructure, and business processes for piloting secure electronic surveillance of HAI based on the core information components
  • Description of technical requirements, and systems development required to undertake the pilot project
  • Description of consultation, and training required during the pilot project
  • Detailed risk assessment
  • Quality improvements and change management resulting from theimplementation and evaluation
  • Learnings from the implementation and evaluation; and
  • Recommendations for:

-improvements or modificationsto the core information components: structured microbiology requests and reports for Healthcare Associated Infections,and

-electronic surveillance of HAI in hospitals.

The report should be submitted to ACSQHC by 1 December 2012.

Roles and responsibilities

The Commission’s role

The Commission will be responsible for providing oversight and support, includingtechnical assistance to healthcare organisations, and the monitoring of progress. Support for healthcare organisations will include a Project Advisory Committee, and a dedicated project manager at the Commission.

The Commission will provide up to $25,000 (exc. GST) per selected pilot site to support the costs of backfilling or engagement of a resource to facilitate the pilot and to prepare the report.

Healthcare organisation’s role

Each healthcare organisation selected to undertake the pilot will be responsible for implementing and evaluating the core information components: structured microbiology requests and reports for Healthcare Associated Infections. This should include:

  • Implementing the core information components in clinical and laboratory information systems for secure messaging of structured requests and reports for HAIcomprising:
  • Electronic structured requests issued from a hospital clinical system to the pathology provider via secure messaging
  • Electronic structured microbiology reports of HAI sent from a pathology provider to the hospital (surveillance unit and consultant) via secure messaging
  • Receipt of electronic structured microbiology reports by the consultant and the surveillance unit
  • Analysis and review of message structures and end-to-end processing implementedfor the request-test-report cyclefor electronicsurveillance of HAI
  • Training staff involved in the pilot
  • Carrying out a risk assessment
  • Reporting to the Commission on progress and project timelines
  • Submitting a report on the implementation and evaluation of the core information componentsfor electronic surveillance of HAI

Selected organisations will be required to:

  • Participation in Project Advisory Committee meetings
  • Appoint a project facilitator to:

-Manage the pilot project and timelines

-Liaise with hospital and pathology provider staff involved in the pilot

-Co-ordinate activity during the pilot for instance, systems development, training, risk assessment

-Report regularly to ACSQHC on progress with the pilot

Eligibility criteria

Healthcare organisations, including public and private hospitals and hospital networks, with affiliated pathology providers, are eligible.

Healthcare organisationswill need to demonstrate that they meet the following criteria:

  • Executive support for the pilot from the hospital, district or network, or jurisdictional head of the healthcare organisation;
  • Signed letter of support from the laboratory or microbiology services provider;
  • Clinician and microbiologyproviderinvolvement and support for the pilot;
  • Agreement to implement and evaluate the core information components: structured microbiology requests and reports for Healthcare Associated Infections (Appendix);
  • Experience in surveillance activities for HAI, or a commitment to undertaking surveillance for HAI;
  • Use of clinical and laboratory information systems for pathology requests and results.

Expression of interestto pilot

Structured Microbiology Requests and Reports for eSurveillance of

Healthcare Associated Infections in Hospitals

Please read the requirements, responsibilities and eligibility criteria in the project brief before completing this form.

Instructions:Place the cursor in the grey boxes and type in your information. Where options are provided, select the appropriate response. Either save the document in Word format and email it to the address shown on the last page of this form or print the completed form and post it to the postal address shown on the last page of this form.

Contact person for the expression of interest

Name:
Position:
Email address:
Telephone number: / Fax number:

Healthcare organisation information

Name:
Address:
Type of hospital/s to participate in the pilot:
Principal referral
Large major city / Large regional city
Medium major city / Medium regional city
Small regional / Small remote
Name of pathology provider for microbiology:
Number of beds:
Number of full-time equivalent infection control professionals:
Average number of HAI reported each week? / 55-20
20-5050
Is there clinician and pathology provider support for the project? / Yes No
Please describe:
Does your healthcare organisation have a process for HAI surveillance? / Yes No
Please describe:
Are there any components of the core information components: structured requests and reports for HAI that could not be applied in your healthcare organisation? / Yes No
Please describe:
Has the organisation had experience in implementing patient safety and/or quality improvement projects? / Yes No
If yes, please attach a brief description of the project(s) and their outcomes – for up to two projects.
Does your organisation use a clinical information system for ordering microbiology tests? / Yes No
Please describe:
Does your organisation’s clinical information systemreceive electronic microbiology reports? / Yes No
Does your organisation use electronic tools for surveillance of HAI? / Yes No
Please describe:
Would the hospital be able to commence the project byJune2012 / Yes No
Would the hospital be able to complete the project by December 2012? / Yes No

Authorisation

This section is to be signed by the
General Manager/Chief Executive of the healthcare organisation.
I confirm that:
  • A facilitator will be appointed to:
  • Manage the pilot project and timelines
  • Liaise with hospital and pathology provider staff involved in the pilot
  • Co-ordinate activity during the pilot including systems development, training, risk assessment
  • Report regularly to ACSQHC on progress with the pilot.
  • The healthcare organisation commits to participating in the pilotand submitting a report on its implementation of the core information components: structured requests and reports for healthcare associated infections
  • The pilot is supported by the hospital’s pathology provider.
  • A detailed project plan identifying how the organisation will meet the pilot requirements is attached.

I agree to
healthcare organisation participating in the
Healthcare Associated Infections eSurveillance
pilot project.
Signature ______
Name ______Date ______
Expressions of Interest must be submitted by 12pmon Monday 28May2012.
Email your completed Expression of Interest and attachments to

Or mail to:
Ms Elizabeth Hanley
HAI eSurveillance Project
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
GPO Box 5480
Sydney NSW 2001

APPENDIX

Core Information Components: Structured microbiology requests and reports for healthcare associated infections February 2012

Page 1

[1]Cruickshank M, Ferguson J, editors. Reducing Harm to Patients from Healthcare associated Infection: The Role of Surveillance: Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2008