LTCF October 2023 Post-Release Updates

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 became available beginning the week of October 23, 2023, and are now visible within the NHSN application. Resources on the NHSN LTCF COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Module webpage and the COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Vaccination Modules webpage have been 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 was renamed to align with the additional reporting options for Influenza and RSV that became available with the recent NHSN release.

  • The new name: COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Module

New! Influenza/RSV Surveillance Tab (optional)

  • The new tab within the LTCF Surveillance Pathways allows 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 facility 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 are 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 are 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 was renamed to align with the additional reporting options for Influenza and RSV that became available with the recent 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 became 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

Training Slides

Training webinars for the new Influenza/RSV collection tabs for LTCF residents for both the Surveillance Pathways and Vaccination Module were conducted in October 2023. The training slides can be found on the COVID-19/Respiratory Pathogens Module webpage.

Cancellation

The Office hours that were previously scheduled for November 15 regarding Optional Reporting of Influenza and RSV Cases and Vaccinations for Residents of Long-term Care Facilities has been cancelled. Notification will be sent out once this session has been rescheduled.

*Cancelled*
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

Reminder: Refresher Trainings on Reporting Annual Healthcare Personnel Influenza Vaccination Data

There will be two refresher trainings for long-term care facilities on reporting annual healthcare personnel influenza vaccination data. The deadline to report these data in the NHSN Healthcare Personnel Safety Component for the 2023-2024 influenza season is May 15, 2024.

The trainings will be held on November 21 and November 28. The content for each webinar is the same. The slides that will be presented during the webinars can be accessed here: Healthcare Personnel Safety Component Healthcare Personnel Vaccination Module Influenza Vaccination Summary Long-Term Care Facilities (cdc.gov).

Webinar registration information is listed below. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the webinar.

When: Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at 1:00 PM ET
Register in advance for this webinar: https://cdc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_PcTHDlv6SC6xyA1VYUEurQ

When: Tuesday, November 28, 2023, at 1:00 PM ET
Register in advance for this webinar: https://cdc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_lx1CWu4OSTmUDyuPgoo7AA

Additional training materials pertaining to annual healthcare personnel influenza vaccination data are organized under the “Annual” reporting headings on this webpage: HCP Flu Vaccination | HPS | NHSN | CDC.