The HELICS Programme functions as a « Network of Networks » in agreement with the philosophy of the Commission Decision 2119/98/CE.  HELICS-associated Networks collect NI data according to standardised, or HELICS compatible, protocols.  The data is then transferred to the HELICS Management Team for entry into the HELICS database for analysis, feedback and dissemination.

The coordinators of each HELICS-associated network participate in the definition of harmonised procedures and data management and analysis, which is under the responsibility of the HELICS Management Team.  Designated by all the participating countries, an Expert Advisory Board reviews and evaluates the functioning of the programme.

The coordinators of the HELICS-associated national [regional] networks are responsible for;

·                    organisation of data collection directly in the participating hospitals/wards,

·                    pooling hospital data and quality checking, particularly with respect to  consistency with HELICS protocols,

·                    formatting of data using the HELICS transfer format,

·                    transferring data to the HELICS Management Team,

·                    collection of additional information about participating hospital/wards and transferring it the HELICS Management Team.

Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the Network Coordinator to disseminate the information produced by the HELICS database to the participating hospitals or wards.

The HELICS Management Team

The members of the HELICS Management Team share the responsibility for the programme management.

The Coordination Team in Lyon coordinates the activities of the project from an administrative and process standpoint.  The team is also the focal point of contact with the national [regional] networks and is responsible for the maintenance and management of access to the database and the dissemination of data analyses produced by the Collaborative Teams.

The Collaborative Teams share the responsibility for the technical functioning by taking charge of a specific duty;

Brussels – Data Analysis

Responsible for the analysis of the data collected by the Coordination Team on Surgical Site Infections and Infections in ICU patients.

Barcelona – Prevalence Studies

Responsible for the dissemination and use of the HELICS Master protocol for Prevalence Studies.

Berlin – Complementary Studies

Responsible for complementary studies linking level of risks, organisation of care and adoption of preventive procedures.

London – Training

Responsible for organising training to support the project.  The current requirements cover a “Training the trainers” module on definitions, data collection, validation, and central and local analysis.