MiBa, the Danish Microbiology Database

MiBa is an important milestone in the development of a digital surveillance system for infectious diseases integrated in the Danish heath care infrastructure.

MiBa is a nationwide, automatically and real time updated database of microbiological test results. 
 The objectives of MiBa are to provide: 

1. access for healthcare professionals to microbiological test results from all of Denmark for patients in their care.
2. an automatic alert in electronic health records (EHR) of cases with multiresistant  microorganisms, preventing spread of antimicrobial resistance in hospital settings.
3. the fundament for a flexible, and automated national surveillance of infectious diseases and micro-organisms. 
4. a shared resource for research projects. 

Healthcare persons access microbiology-reports through direct-access solutions from the local EHR and other platforms. Patients and citizens have access to their own reports via the national health portal Sundhed.dk and various mobile solutions including MinSundhed. 

The real time national data from MiBa played a pivotal role in the surveillance of COVID-19. By automated data handling solutions data are combined with data in other national registries providing key indicators for the government, the press, the public and the health care system. Analyzed data from MiBa also support a range of COVID-19 initiatives, including the Coronapas, Smittestop App and TestCenter Danmark. 

The development of the MiBa-based surveillance of infectious diseases and microorganisms is a complex ongoing process involving collaboration across professions and organizations. The tasks include standardization of data, clarification of concepts and goals that are constantly moving, a revision of the legislation, as well as the technical and economic.