Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP
Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare
NHSN has posted a 13-page LTCF COVID-19 POC Testing Reporting Tool FAQ. There’s a great deal of information within this document, including a link to an archived training webinar. Yesterday, I bloggedabout upcoming webinars – this week – addressing this tool. Check out that blog for dates and times. I also found what appears to be the slide deck for this week’s training sessions.
The LTCF COVID-19 Module homepage also contains updated information, including the addition of Point of Care Test Reporting tool to the existing 4 pathways:
In addition to the reporting pathways, the Point-of-Care (POC) Test Reporting Tool has been added to enable LTCFs to enter POC SARS-CoV-2 test results into the NHSN application. NHSN will route the POC laboratory test data to the public health agency at the local or state level that has jurisdictional authority and responsibility to receive those data. Health agencies, in turn, will use the data to fulfill their public health functions, which include reporting to the US Department of Health and Human Services, where the data will be used in the COVID-19 response. Participation in this pathway requires users to have secure access through Secure Access Management Services (SAMS), which includes having a SAMS grid card.
LTCFs that wish to report POC SARS-CoV-2 testing results into the NHSN application but have limited access to the COVID-19 Module only (specifically, no SAMS grid card), should click Increasing LTCF SAMS Level Access to NHSN or contact NHSN@cdc.gov for assistance. LTCFs enrolling in NHSN for the first time should follow the 5-Step Enrollment for Long-term Care Facilities instructions. Enrolled facilities should not re-enroll.
LTCF data submission options include manual entry and/or CSV file submitted by individual facilities or bulk CSV file upload for multiple facilities. Note: CSV file submission is not currently available for the Point-of-Care (POC) Test Reporting Tool.
Please review the below sections for access to important information, updates, upcoming and archived training resources, and more.
At the bottom of the LTCF COVID-19 Module homepage, you can sign up for NHSN COVID-19 updates.
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