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Electronic reporting of diagnostic laboratory test results from all healthcare sectors is a cornerstone of national preparedness and control of COVID‐19 in Denmark
Author(s) -
Schønning Kristian,
Dessau Ram Benny,
Jensen Thøger Gorm,
Thorsen Nicklas Myrthue,
Wiuff Camilla,
Nielsen Lene,
Gubbels Sophie,
Denwood Matt,
Thygesen Uffe Høgsbro,
Christensen Lasse Engbo,
Møller Camilla Holten,
Møller Jens Kjølseth,
EllermannEriksen Svend,
Østergaard Christian,
Lam Janni Uyen Hoa,
Abushalleeh Nour,
Meaidi Marianna,
Olsen Stefan,
Mølbak Kåre,
Voldstedlund Marianne
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
apmis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0903-4641
DOI - 10.1111/apm.13140
Subject(s) - preparedness , public health , pandemic , cornerstone , contact tracing , health care , public health surveillance , medicine , environmental health , business , medical emergency , covid-19 , political science , disease , geography , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , archaeology , law
The COVID‐19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented demand for real‐time surveillance data in order to inform critical decision makers regarding the management of the pandemic. The aim of this review was to describe how the Danish national microbiology database, MiBa, served as a cornerstone for providing data to the real‐time surveillance system by linkage to other nationwide health registries. The surveillance system was established on an existing IT health infrastructure and a close network between clinical microbiologists, information technology experts, and public health officials. In 2020, testing capacity for SARS‐CoV‐2 was ramped up from none to over 10,000 weekly PCR tests per 100,000 population. The crude incidence data mirrored this increase in testing. Real‐time access to denominator data and patient registries enabled adjustments for fluctuations testing activity, providing robust data on crude SARS‐CoV‐2 incidence during the changing diagnostic and management strategies. The use of the same data for different purposes, for example, final laboratory reports, information to the public, contact tracing, public health, and science, has been a critical asset for the pandemic response. It has also raised issues concerning data protection and critical capacity of the underlying technical systems and key resources. However, even with these limitations, the setup has enabled decision makers to adopt timely interventions. The experiences from COVID‐19 may motivate a transformation from traditional indicator‐based public health surveillance to an all‐encompassing information system based on access to a comprehensive set of data sources, including diagnostic and reference microbiology.