A data request managed by VAHI’s Data Request Hub has helped improve clarity and compliance around reporting of clinical incidents arising from In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and/or assisted reproductive treatment (ART).
In April 2021, the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA) contacted VAHI for data on hospital admissions for Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome (OHSS) and other clinical incidents as a complication arising from IVF and/or ART.
All Victorian ART clinics are required to notify VARTA of any adverse incidents or sentinel events. VARTA were aiming to see what the level of compliance was, and VAHI were able to provide data and visualisations that allowed VARTA to understand unexpected hospital admissions in Victoria following IVF or ART treatment.
The data showed significant underreporting by ART providers, who were only reporting approximately 20% of OHSS incidents involving hospitalisation over the last three financial years.
Consultation with ART providers around the results led to a change in reporting definitions, removing ambiguity around what OHSS incidents needed to be reported to VARTA.
VARTA CEO Anna MacLeod said the data-driven consultations and changes has led to a significant improvement in reporting compliance.
“Ovarian Hyperstimulation cases reported to us as the state regulator used to only have approximately a 20% match with the VAHI hospital admissions data,” Ms MacLeod said.
“With the VAHI data, we have now been able to work with ART clinics to improve reporting and it appears we are getting approximately 68% match with VAHI data.”
Aggregate findings were also shared by VARTA with other regulators of safety in Victoria, including Safer Care Victoria, the Department of Health, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Health Complaints Commissioner. Further data has since been provided by the Hub team that has allowed VARTA to track and improve reporting.
“We are very pleased and think this is a good news story of two government agencies working together productively,” Ms MacLeod said.
If you think that VAHI can provide you with data to help your organisation, please get in touch. For more information about the VAHI Data Request Hub or to make a request, please visit https://vahi.freshdesk.com