Real-time emergency department (ED) data are currently received from 78 of 80 New Jersey acute care and satellite EDs by Health Monitoring Systems Inc.’s (HMS) EpiCenter system. EpiCenter collects, manages and analyzes ED registration data for syndromic surveillance, and provides alerts to state and local health departments for surveillance anomalies. After the 2012 Superstorm Sandy devastated parts of New Jersey, NJDOH initiated a plan to develop severe weather surveillance using EpiCenter to provide the Department with the ability to track both health and mental health concerns during adverse weather conditions to alert the public about emerging health hazards.
Objective
To describe the development and validation of a mental health classification to track emergency department visits for potential needed public health response during severe weather events.