13 September 2022

Austin Health is partnering with VAHI to help automate VHIMS data transmission.

VAHI is working with Austin Health to make it easier for health services to transmit Victorian Health Incident Management System 2 minimum dataset (VHIMS 2 MDS) data from their local incident management systems to the Department of Health.

Austin Health, in partnership with VAHI and the broader sector, will coordinate the design and implementation of automated data transmission via the VHIMS 2 Application Programming Interface (API). The project will also create tools to assist services to adapt their existing processes to incorporate these changes. 

Automation will make it easier for health services to provide daily incident data to the Department, supporting improvements in patient and healthcare workforce safety by enabling near-real-time incident reporting and early detection of emerging risks and issues.

More than 95% of eligible public and community health services are now able to transmit the VHIMS 2 MDS to VAHI. Interim reporting arrangements for the 2022-23 financial year require health services transmitting data via the VHIMS API to submit the VHIMS MDS weekly for closed incidents only while automated transmission is established.

Automated transmission has been in place for VHIMS Central Solution (CS) users since 2019-20. Health services using VHIMS CS should continue to submit data per their current processes.

In addition to the automation project, VAHI is undertaking a review of the current VHIMS 2 MDS to improve the efficiency of data collection and reduce the reporting burden on health services. Work is also underway to increase the capacity of API transmission.

Further information about these initiatives and other work to support health services will be shared through VAHI news and direct engagement throughout the year.

For more information about VHIMS 2 MDS or to find out how you can be involved in these projects, please contact Anna Ezzy, Acting Manager Safety and Surveillance at [email protected].