Please Note: On February 10, 2021, this article was updated as a reminder that although Point of Care Antigen test results are no longer required to be reported to NHSN, Point of Care Antigen test results must still be reported to either the Indiana Department of Health’s RedCAPS COVID-19 Point of Care Testing Reporting module or NHSN. Both positive and negative results must be reported to either the Point of Care RedCAPS or NHSN, and positive results must also be reported as a case in the LTC RedCAPS. If a false positive is suspected, the Point of Care antigen test result should still be reported, but the report to the LTC RedCAPS should be delayed until the confirmatory PCR result is received. If the PCR is negative, please email Kelly White at: kewhite@isdh.in.gov.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published this updated laboratory reporting guidance on January 8, 2021 that makes is optional for nursing facilities to report Point of Care Antigen testing results via the NHSN module. You will recall that reporting Point of Care Antigen testing results via the NHSN module was mandatory in a surprise announcement last fall, this new guidance reverses that mandate.
If facilities choose not to report Point of Care Antigen testing results via the NHSN module, then nursing facilities must report this same data to the Indiana Department of Health via this RedCAPS COVID-19 Point of Care Testing Reporting module. Facilities that desire to work with the Indiana Department of Health to establish a bulk-upload process for this data should read this article on bulk uploads to IDH and proceed accordingly.
Please be reminded that this guidance only applies to reporting of Point of Care Antigen testing results and that nursing facilities must still report weekly data to NHSN for other nursing facility COVID-19 and case data. QSource can be of help to you if you experience issues with the weekly NHSN data reporting requirement – contact Kara Dawson.