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NHSN Data Validation
AT A GLANCE
- Data Accuracy: NHSN depends on precise data from healthcare facilities to achieve its surveillance goals and ensure accurate reporting of facility outcomes.
- Validation Resources: NHSN offers Internal and External Validation toolkits to help healthcare facilities and health departments assess infection control efforts and verify the reliability of submitted data.
- Take Action: NHSN validation is voluntary but encouraged as an effective way to enhance reporting accuracy and uncover improvement opportunities at your facility.
External vs. Internal Validation
NHSN provides tools and support for both external and internal validation efforts. Please refer to the table below to identify the differences between the two approaches.
| External Validation | Internal Validation | |
| What is it? | A standardized process of external review of a facility’s surveillance procedures and reporting protocols
|
A standardized process of internal review of a facility’s surveillance procedures and reporting protocols |
| Who performs it? | State or Local Health Departments
|
Facility employees (Infection Preventionists, nurse, infection control staff) |
| What is the purpose? | Identify common issues related to NHSN data reporting and determine appropriate training activities and support needed at healthcare facilities | Ensure that the facility’s surveillance data are of high quality: complete, timely, and accurate |
| HAI’s Available for Validation | Patient Safety Component: CLABSI, CAUTI, SSI-HYST, SSI-COLO, MRSA, LabID CDI Dialysis Component: Dialysis Event Long Term Care Component: Long Term Care LabID CDI Event |
Patient Safety Component: CLABSI, CAUTI, SSI-HYST, SSI-COLO, MRSA, LabID CDI, VAE
|
| How often is it performed? | Varies by jurisdiction. An annual review for at least one HAI per jurisdiction is ideal. | Annually, at minimum |
Data Validation by Year
The NHSN Validation Toolkits have dedicated resources to help state health departments and healthcare facility staff validate Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) data reported to NHSN. The year selections below contain resources for HAI data reported to NHSN for the year specified.
Internal Validation
2023 Internal Validation Guidance and Toolkit [PDF – 823 KB]
External Validation
2023 Patient Safety External Validation Toolkit [PDF – 823 KB]
Internal Validation
2024 Internal Validation Guidance and Toolkit [PDF – 830 KB]
External Validation
2024 Resources by HAI
Patient Safety
- EVT Method 3 Random Number Generator for Facility List (SAS File) [ZIP – 996 B]
- EVT Method 3 Random Number Generator for Medical Record List (SAS File) [ZIP – 1 KB]
- MDRO & CDI LabID Event Calculator Ver 2.0 (must have JavaScript enabled)
- Ventilator-Associated Event Calculator (Version 7.0) (must have JavaScript enabled)
- 2023 Facility Level HAI Summary Report (SAS file) [ZIP – 10 KB]
- 2023 Jurisdiction Level HAI Summary Report (SAS file) [ZIP – 15 KB]
Dialysis
Long Term Care
- List of NHSN 2023 ICD-10 Procedure Code Updates – January 2023 [XLS – 47 KB]
- ICD-10-PCS Procedure Code Mapping to NHSN Operative Procedure Codes – January 2023 [XLS – 761 KB]
- Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Procedure Code Mapping to NHSN Operative Procedure Codes – January 2023 [XLS – 360 KB]
- NHSN Organism List (All Organisms, Common Commensals, MBI Organisms, and UTI Bacteria) – February 2024 [XLS – 560 KB]
- Additional Guidance for use with NHSN Operative Procedure Codes
- ICD-10-PCS & CPT Codes – Guidance for HPRO & KPRO Procedure Details – January 2023 [XLSX – 90 KB]
This guidance document may be used for completing the NHSN procedure details for HPRO – hip arthroplasty and/or KPRO – Knee arthroplasty operative procedures. - FUSN ICD-10-PCS Codes – Guidance for Spinal Level and Approach – January 2023 [XLSX – 40 KB]
This supplemental guidance may be used to complete the spinal level and approach fields in the Operative Procedure Details section for FUSN procedures. - ICD-10 CM Diabetes Diagnostic Codes – January 2023 [XLSX – 40 KB]
ICD-10-CM codes included in this spreadsheet are acceptable for use to answer “YES” to “Diabetes Mellitus” for completing the NHSN Operative Procedure Details. - ICD-10-CM/PCS Codes for ‘prior infection at hip or knee joint’ denominator form question – January 2023 [XLSX – 40 KB]
Use ICD-10-PCS/CM diagnosis or procedure codes included in this spreadsheet to determine if patient meets criteria for ‘prior infection at index joint’.
- ICD-10-PCS & CPT Codes – Guidance for HPRO & KPRO Procedure Details – January 2023 [XLSX – 90 KB]
- Document detailing changes made to the 2022-2023 operative procedure codes
- Summary of 2022-2023 Code Changes – January 2023 [XLS – 388 KB]
This document includes changes made to the 2022 procedure codes for 2023 SSI reporting. Because both outdated (removed) and current procedure codes are included, use caution if this document is used to identify procedures for SSI events for reporting.
- Summary of 2022-2023 Code Changes – January 2023 [XLS – 388 KB]
