Governance aspects of large-scale implementation of automated surveillance of healthcare-associated infections

Surveillance of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) is increasingly automated by applying algorithms to routine-care data stored in electronic health records. Hitherto, initiatives have mainly been confined to single healthcare facilities and research settings, leading to heterogeneity in design. The PRAISE network - Providing a Roadmap for Automated Infection Surveillance in Europe - designed a roadmap to provide guidance on how to move automated surveillance (AS) from the research setting to large-scale implementation. Supplementary to this roadmap, we here discuss the governance aspects of automated HAI surveillance within networks, aiming to support both the coordinating centres and participating healthcare facilities as they set up governance structures and to enhance involvement of legal specialists.