Queensland Rheumatic Heart Disese Program
The Queensland Rheumatic Heart Disease Program aims to advance Queensland’s vision of ending RHD and improve the health and wellbeing for people living with ARF and RHD.
The RHD Program:
- Oversees and contributes to the whole of system response for the prevention, identification, treatment and management of ARF and RHD in Queensland.
- Maintains the dedicated state-wide RHD register and recall system that supports the continuation of long-term management of patients living with ARF and RHD.
- Engages with healthcare providers to support active follow up of outstanding care for high-risk groups and identify strategies to improve adherence or re-engage in care.
- Provides consistent, best-practice, culturally responsive and evidence-based recommendations for the ongoing management of people living with ARF and RHD.
- Supports delivery of education and ensures evidence-based resources are available to healthcare providers for improved prevention, identification, treatment and management of ARF and RHD.
- Provides de-identified data for population level disease monitoring and to inform system activities.
The RHD Program works with Queensland’s Hospital and Health Services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations, private healthcare providers and non-government organisations with a focus on adding value to existing structures, systems, and services.
Queensland RHD Register
The Queensland RHD Register (Register) is a secure statewide dedicated disease register that supports the long-term management and follow-up of patients living with ARF and RHD and monitoring of the disease in Queensland.
Benefits of the Register:
- Provides health service providers with timely patient follow-up reminders.
- Maintains centralised patient information from primary, secondary and tertiary health services.
- Facilitates temporary or permanent transfer of patient information between health service providers.
- Improves visibility of ARF and RHD disease burden and health services in Queensland.
Information collected in the RHD Register:
- Patient and primary health service provider information.
- Clinical management plans, disease severity and follow up frequency.
- Dates for secondary prophylaxis injections, echocardiograms and specialist reviews.
- Pregnancy and surgery details relating to RHD.
Information on the RHD Register is used to:
- Recall lists are sent to health services for patients who are due for treatment or review.
- Certain information is sent to The Viewer* allowing healthcare providers timely access to patient information.
- Deidentified information is reported to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare for reporting on ARF and RHD in Australia.
- Information on adherence rates and disease severity is used to inform and evaluate health service initiatives to improve health outcomes.
Accessing information on the Register:
Information collected in the Register is sent to The Viewer and provides healthcare providers with access to information about the recommended management and treatment of patients enrolled on the Queensland RHD Register. See the factsheet for more information. See The Viewer webpage for more information on accessing The Viewer.
Healthcare providers can request patient information relevant to patient care by contacting the register on phone 1300 135 854 or email ArfRhdRegister@health.qld.gov.au.
Access to the Register:
The Register is accessible to Queensland Health employees who are involved in managing ARF and RHD patient care by submitting a request form for authorisation and completing the training.
Notifying ARF and RHD in Queensland
ARF and RHD are important public health issues and are notifiable conditions in Queensland under the Public Health Regulation 2018. Notifications should be made within 48 hours of suspected or confirmed diagnosis on the notification form for ARF and RHD. For more information on notifying ARF and RHD, refer to Communicable disease control guidance for ARF and RHD notifications or contact your local public health unit.