A statewide tender has been completed for Victorian public and community health services’ Victorian Health Incident Management System (VHIMS) solutions. There are different options available, allowing health services to choose the best solution for their needs. Health services that require further information on options available through the VHIMS statewide tender should visit the VHIMS page on the Better Safer Care website. Victorian public and community health services may also choose to remain with their existing supplier or alternatively implement a bespoke off-the shelf product, providing that the new VHIMS Minimum Data Set (MDS) can be submitted by Applied Programming Interface (API) technology to VAHI.
Information on the new VHIMS MDS is available on the VHIMS minimum dataset page on the Better Safer Care website.
What’s next? Countdown to 1 July 2021 for VHIMS MDS
It is a requirement that all Victorian public and community health services will need to collect the VHIMS minimum dataset and ensure that it can be transferred to VAHI by 1 July 2021. Victorian public and community health service CEOs should ensure that their chosen VHIMS supplier can meet these obligations.
At this time, Victorian public and community health services should have selected a preferred VHIMS supplier and should have a plan in place to transition to these arrangements relating to the new VHIMS MDS.
Health services should now notify VAHI of their chosen supplier by contacting the VAHI Safety and Surveillance team at vhims2@vahi.vic.gov.au. If there are any concerns about meeting the 1 July 2021 deadline, these need to be communicated as soon as possible.
By way of a further update on the VHIMS program of work, the next statewide report is under development with a focus on behavioural incidents, including occupational violence. This report is expected to be released in the second half of 2021.
Work also continues on the new VHIMS data manual and data dictionary and is expected also to be released in the second half of 2021. VAHI looks forward to further engagement on these products with Victorian public and community health services.
For further information about the VHIMS program of reforms, please contact Megan Maloney from the VAHI Safety and Surveillance team at megan.maloney@vahi.vic.gov.au.