<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>13</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Veerle Stouten</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Pierre Hubin</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Marijke Pauwels</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Amber Van Laer</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Yves Dupont</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Joris Van Loenhout</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ruben Brondeel</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dieter Van Cauteren</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">A new data collection system for Epilabo: the network of sentinel laboratories</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Scientific Seminar Infectious Diseases</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Data collection</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Data linkage</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Digital health</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Laboratory network</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Pandemic preparedness</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2023</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">11/05/2023</style></date></pub-dates></dates><publisher><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Sciensano</style></publisher><pub-location><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Brussels, Belgium</style></pub-location><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of having a robust, digital system for timely data collection of laboratory test results at the national level in the context of surveillance of infectious diseases. As part of European Commission funded project (EU-HIP), we here present the implementation of a new, near real-time, laboratory-based surveillance system that was built upon the experiences of COVID-19 and the Belgian sentinel network of laboratories (Epilabo), established in 1983.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Individual test results are transferred in bulk from the data infrastructure of the clinical microbiology laboratory (CML) to the Healthdata.be platform in a system to system framework. Data collection relies on international standard for the coding of the test results (LOINC and SNOMED-CT codes). Nominative or pseudonymized data are processed according to the legal mandate of different stakeholders. Linkage with other data sets is performed&amp;nbsp; through a recoded national identification of social security number (NISS).&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;We present the current implementation of this new surveillance system, using COVID-19 to highlight its potential in terms of real-time surveillance via automatic extraction of laboratory test results and the impact of different counter measures in the population by linking datasets. From the summer of 2023 onwards we aim a gradual onboarding of CML to achieve a coverage in all provinces of the country within the new data collection system.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The new data collection system presented here represents a major improvement in terms of data security, integrity, quality and workability for the CML as for the public health stakeholders. It will serve as a cornerstone for timely and comprehensive surveillance of infectious diseases, measure the impact of infectious diseases in the population and enhance pandemic preparedness in Belgium.&lt;/p&gt;
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