Early Aberration Reporting System (EARS, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EARS Program, MS C-18, Atlanta, GA, USA) is a freeware surveillance tool that can be downloaded from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website (http://emergency.cdc.gov/surveillance/ears/). It was designed for quick set-up and customization for automated monitoring of emergency department and other syndromic data sources, including, but not limited to, 911 calls, school absenteeism,
and over-the-counter medication sales. The United States’ city, county, state health departments, and various international public health organizations, use EARS software to conduct daily, near-real time surveillance of conditions easily defined by patient-reported complaints, and physician diagnoses (for example, influenza-like illness, gastroenteritis, asthma, heat-related illness). It is also used to conduct suspect case finding during outbreaks, natural disaster responses, verify that potential threats are not manifested in communities, and for supporting ad hoc analyses and research.
Objective
The objective of this poster is to highlight recent upgrades to the EARS software, and identify features planned for future releases.