No 34b - 2023

Electronic notification of MRSA to be introduced soon

As from 1 September 2023, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may be notified electronically.

Since 1 July 2022, using the electronic notification system of the Danish Health Data Authority (SEI2), physicians have had the possibility to notify infectious diseases, barring MRSA. In several regions, only some physicians have had access to electronic notification. Even so, the physicians who did have access have received the new opportunity well.

Notification of MRSA is different from the other notifiable diseases as detection of a new type of MRSA in any patient triggers an alert to the ordering physician in the form of an auto-generated e-mail from the Staphylococcal Laboratory of the SSI saying that the case must be notified via the SEI2. The e-mail contains a unique key without which electronic notification is not possible. Once the key is entered into the form, laboratory information appears automatically that may be used when assessing the source of infection. As is the case for the Infectious Disease form in SEI2, the MRSA form contains various drop-down menus that facilitate the notification process and ensure good data quality for use in the MRSA monitoring in Denmark.

The e-mail from the SSI laboratory with information of a notifiable MRSA case reaches the ordering physician via different routes, depending on the ordering physician and the region in which the sample was taken:

• For samples taken in general practice and other medical specialist practices, the information is sent to the physician’s digital inbox.

• For samples taken at a hospital, the e-mail is sent from the SSI laboratory according to regional agreements to one or more regional contact points, which forward the mail to the department from which the sample was ordered.

• For samples ordered in asylum centres or municipal treatment sites, communication is via safe e-mail connection to agreed mailing addresses.

Each region has had the opportunity to agree with the SSI who should receive the autogenerated e-mails. To take an example, in the North Denmark Region, the information is initially sent to the Hygiene Unit at Aalborg Hospital as most citizens with MRSA in the North Denmark Region are referred to this unit for treatment. In contrast, reminders informing of lacking notification are sent to the ordering physician.

Access to the MRSA form

Physicians who are employed in a region need to be given access to the MRSA form in the SEI2 system by their regional administrators. The Danish Health Data Authority is collaborating with the regional administrators to give as many physicians as possible automatic access to the MRSA form in SEI2.

In case of problems gaining access, physicians employed in the regions need to contact the regional Service Desk. This also applies to other healthcare workers who will be notifying cases on behalf of a physician.

Physicians who are employed in other organisations than regions, e.g., in general practice or at an asylum centre, may apply for access to the MRSA form directly to the SEI2.

Login requires MitID, NemID employee signature (until 31 OCT 2023) or local ldP (not the user’s private user signature).

Read more about gaining access and about electronic notification of MRSA in the guide Electronic Notification of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Need help?

Questions concerning the system and its use may be sent to SEIsystemet@sundhedsdata.dk or to the system administrators in the Danish Health Data Authority: Helle Rejnhold Sørensen (+45 3268 5210, hers@sundhedsdata.dk) or Sandra Sarosi Thomasen (+45 3268 9173, ssat@sundhedsdata.dk).

Questions relating to the completion of the form and its use for notification may be submitted to epiMRSA@ssi.dk or directly to Sidsel Skou Voss (+45 3268 8577, sisv@ssi.dk), Tinna R. Urth (+45 4171 4866, urt@ssi.dk) or Anders Koch (+45 3268 3964, ako@ssi.dk).

Read more

For more information, please see the Danish Data Health Authority’s user guide “Login and introduction to SEI2” (in Danish language).

(S.S. Voss, T.R. Urth, A. Koch, S. Cowan, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention)

24 August 2023