FAQs for health professionals

“How much extra time does participation take?”
Participation is designed to fit smoothly into clinicians usual workflow, with minimal additional time required.

Syndromic surveillance involves a quick data entry step, taking only a few minutes per eligible patient. This typically requires coding the relevant condition in the patient’s “reason for visit” field within their practice software.

Virological surveillance (swab collection) takes approximately 15 minutes per patient. Swabbing can be performed by the GP or a practice nurse, and remuneration is provided to reflect the time involved.

“Do I need special equipment, or is there any cost to participate?”
No specialised equipment is required. ASPREN provides all necessary materials, including swab kits, data collection tools, and support for laboratory processes such as sample transport.
There is no cost to your practice to participate.

“What support is provided?”
The ASPREN team provides onboarding, training materials, ongoing support, and regular communication to ensure smooth participation.

“Can rural or remote practices participate?”
Yes. ASPREN actively supports participation from rural and remote practices, with flexible laboratory arrangements and alternative testing pathways to suit local contexts.
Where appropriate, practice nurses can also participate in place of GPs or nurse practitioners, particularly when they are consulting with patients presenting with acute care needs.

“Does somebody in the practice have to collect swabs to participate?”
No. Practices can choose to participate in syndromic surveillance only, which involves reporting patients with influenza-like illness. Swab collection (virological surveillance) is optional and can be included based on your practice’s capacity and interest.