How many NC hospitals are reporting COVID data?

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — News 13's investigative team is working to answer your questions about the coronavirus pandemic and its impacts on Western North Carolina.

A viewer asked News 13’s I-Team Coronavirus Help Desk several questions concerning the state dashboard when it comes to how many people are hospitalized for COVID-19.

Those questions included:

1. Does this data include patients admitted for other reasons or only those hospitalized specifically because they are suffering from severe symptoms of COVID-19?
2. How many hospitals are reporting this data and how many are not?
3. Is it always the same hospitals that are reporting this data, or does it vary?
4. Why aren't all hospitals reporting this information?

News 13 reached out to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Kelly Haight for answers.

She said 88 percent of hospital across the state are providing this data daily.

The number of people hospitalized includes those who have tested positive for COVID and those admitted for other reasons, but placed on infection prevention precautions.

We’re told the hospitals self-report this information, along with other COVID-related statistics, like available space in the ICU and the number of patients on ventilators.

“The hospitals do this voluntarily and have worked to complete this survey into their workflow. It can vary who is able to report each day," Haight said.

CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION CENTER: TRACK THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS, IMPACTS, AND HEADLINES ABOUT THE PANDEMIC HERE

Here is the state’s entire response:

For your first question, the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations being reported on the DHHS website comes from a survey response provided by the hospitals in the state. The survey asks for the number of COVID-19 positive in-patients being treated within the hospital.

Many hospital systems are using their electronic medical record (EMR) systems to build reports to help answer this question daily. The hospitals have indicated that they can use a combination of methods within their EMR systems to determine the total number of COVID-19 positive patients on a given day.

These methods include:

• If a patient is on infection prevention precautions related to COVID-19
• If they have a lab positive result and/or have a diagnosis code for COVID-19.

It is possible that the original reason a patient presents to the hospital is due to a medical concern that does not seem to be COVID related (e.g. chest pain or even for a surgery) but they are included in the COVID hospitalization count if, after clinical assessment, it is determined they need to be placed on infection prevention precautions as a result of a COVID-19 positive test and/or diagnosis code. These are clinical decisions often made by the Infection Prevention team within a hospital as the admissions are made.

2. How many hospitals are reporting this data and how many are not?

The dashboard indicates 88% of hospitals are reporting. Hospital listings are on the DHSR website:

3. Is it always the same hospitals that are reporting this data, or does it vary? 4. Why aren't all hospitals reporting this information?

Hospitals self-report information including the number of people currently hospitalized with COVID-19; the number of staffed inpatient beds, full and available intensive care unit (ICU) beds, the total number of patients on ventilators and available ventilators. This information is collected throughout each day, aggregated and then posted daily. NCDHHS also reports daily what percent of hospitals responded to the survey. Changes in the percent of hospitals reporting can change how many people were reported as currently hospitalized. The hospitals do this voluntarily and have worked to complete this survey into their workflow. It can vary who is able to report each day.

You can submit your questions to Iteam@wlos.com. News 13's Jennifer Emert, Lauren Brigman and Karen Zatkulak will work to get an answer for you.