Below is important information regarding modifications to the Long-term Care Facility COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Module and the COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Vaccination Module. The changes described below will become visible within the NHSN application and will take effect beginning the week of October 23, 2023. Resources on the NHSN LTCF COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Module webpage and the COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Vaccination Modules webpage will be updated, where indicated, with revised forms, instructions, FAQs, and CSV templates.
Geolocation
Please disregard alerts asking you to confirm your facility’s geolocation. The facility geolocation function located on the ‘Facility Info’ page is not operational at this time.
Point of Care (POC) Test Reporting Tool
No enhancements
State Veterans Homes COVID-19 Event Reporting Tool
No enhancements
COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Pathway Data Reporting
New! The LTCF COVID-19 Module will be renamed to align with the additional reporting options for Influenza and RSV that will become available with the upcoming NHSN release.
- The new name: COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Module
New! Influenza/RSV Surveillance Tab (optional)
- There will be a new tab with the LTCF Surveillance Pathways that will allow LTCF’s to report newly positive resident cases for Influenza and RSV. This newly added tab is OPTIONAL, but highly encouraged!
Influenza/RSV (optional) **NEW DATA TAB**
New! Influenza/RSV Surveillance Tab (optional)
- Data entry for this tab is OPTIONAL, facilities may choose when and how often data is reported to this tab. However, it is encouraged to report these data on a weekly basis for any facilities choosing to report.
- If a user does choose to enter data, information must be entered for both Influenza and RSV in order for the page to save successfully.
The following data elements will be collected for Influenza:
- Newly Positive Tests for Influenza
- Vaccination Status of Residents with a Newly Confirmed Influenza Test Result
- Hospitalizations with a Positive Influenza Test
- Hospitalizations with a Positive Influenza Test and Up to Date
The following data elements will be collected for RSV:
- Newly Positive Tests for RSV
- Vaccination Status of Residents with a Newly Confirmed RSV Test Result
- Hospitalizations with a Positive RSV Test
- Hospitalizations with a Positive RSV Test and Up to Date
Weekly NHSN COVID-19 Vaccination Data Modules
- New! The LTCF COVID-19 Vaccination Module will be renamed to align with the additional reporting options for Influenza and RSV that will become available with the upcoming NHSN release.
- The new name: COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Vaccination Module
- Continue to report weekly COVID-19 vaccination data per CMS requirements.
- Reference the COVID-19 Key Terms Document for the most recent definition of Up to Date with COVID-19 vaccination for Quarter 4 of 2023.
- New! Tab added: Influenza/RSV Vaccine Reporting (optional)
Weekly Influenza/RSV Vaccination Reporting for Residents (optional) **NEW DATA TAB**
Reporting Influenza/RSV Vaccines for Residents under this tab is OPTIONAL. If a user opts to enter these data, information can be entered for both Influenza and RSV vaccination or only one.
- COVID-19 vaccination data for residents must be reported first in order to access Influenza/RSV vaccination reporting tab.
- Report Influenza/RSV data by entering it directly into NHSN application or using the CSV file option.
- The Influenza/RSV vaccination tab is set up for weekly reporting, but these data can be reported at the discretion of the user.
- Influenza/RSV vaccination materials and training slides will be available through LTCF COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Vaccination website the week of October 23, 2023.
- Person level forms for Influenza and RSV will be available in June 2024.
Upcoming Trainings
There will be training webinars for the new Influenza/RSV collection tabs for LTCF residents for both the Surveillance Pathways and Vaccination Module. Registration links as well as the accompanying training slides can be found on the COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Module webpage. The registration links are also located below:
When: Nov 15, 2023, 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Office Hours: Optional Reporting of Influenza and RSV Cases and Vaccinations for Residents of Long-term Care Facilities (1hr)
Register in advance for this webinar: https://cdc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_s8SMWxtkS8GrSGn7qiAJbA
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
NHSN-ServiceNow is LIVE
Please use NHSN-ServiceNow to submit questions to the NHSN Help Desk. The new portal can be accessed here or through your SAMS account at. After logging into SAMS, the NHSN-ServiceNow link is located at the bottom of the page.
NHSN-ServiceNow should be used in place of nhsn@cdc.gov, nhsntrain@cdc.gov, and nhsndua@cdc.gov. Users will be authenticated using CDC’s Secure Access Management Services (SAMS), the same way you access NHSN. If you do not have a SAMS login, or are unable to access ServiceNow, you can still email the NHSN Help Desk at nhsn@cdc.gov.