Queensland RHD register
People living with Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) require long-term antibiotic (secondary prophylaxis) treatment and regular follow up, to prevent recurrent episodes of ARF that may cause further damage to the heart and to manage complications of RHD.
The RHD Register is a 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 RHD register
- Supports healthcare providers with timely patient follow-up and access to centralised information.
- Assists in increasing scheduled secondary prophylaxis (benzathine benzylpenicillin G) injections and maintaining the long-term management of a patient's care.
- Supports temporary or permanent transfer of patient information to or from healthcare providers.
- Improves understanding of ARF and RHD disease burden and healthcare requirements in Queensland.
Information collected in the RHD register
- Patient and primary healthcare provider information.
- ARF occurrences, RHD diagnosis, disease status and management plans.
- Dates of specialist reviews, echocardiograms, and secondary prophylaxis injections.
- Pregnancy and surgery details relating to RHD.
Information in the RHD register is used to
- Send reminders to healthcare providers for patients that are due for treatment or review.
- Report information to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare for Australian reporting (deidentified).
- Plan and evaluate healthcare services and programs (deidentified).
Access to the RHD Register and information on the RHD Register
The RHD Register is accessible to Queensland Health staff involved in managing ARF and RHD patient care.
Information collected in the RHD Register is sent to The Viewer. The Viewer collates data from multiple Queensland Health systems ensuring that healthcare professionals can access up to date patient information quickly. See The Viewer webpage for more information.
All healthcare providers can request information on patients by emailing the RHD Register or calling 1300 135 854.
Reporting to the RHD Register
Health professionals should send patient treatment and management updates to the RHD Register. This includes information about secondary prophylaxis, echocardiogram findings, treatment plans and patient movements.