The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) announced updates and modifications being released for the long term care facility component of NHSN. The changes will take effect after the September 2022 NHSN release, and several are a result of AHCA/NCAL efforts.
Updates and modifications to NHSN include:
- Reporting burden reduction through the permanent removal of the monthly reporting plan (MRP). With the latest updates, this will permanently be auto populated by NHSN.
- This was a direct result of AHCA advocacy efforts to remove this requirement, which AHCA/NCAL had previously been successful in getting the requirement delayed until September 25, 2022.
- Simplified language for the primary series vaccination status section of the Resident Impact and Facility Capacity Pathway and will now include the Novavax Vaccine. This change will go into effect September 12, 2022, and will not require users to go back and make any revisions to their data.
- Effective September 12, 2022, NHSN will replace the influenza vaccination monthly reporting plan with language that supports auto-population of data by NHSN. The language that users will agree to allow auto-population includes:
- The data reported are consistent with definitions outlined in NHSN surveillance protocols (including tables of instructions and frequently asked questions).
- The data will be sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to fulfill CMS quality reporting requirements (when applicable).