Exploring the Role of Quest Diagnostics Corporate Data Warehouse for Timely Influenza Surveillance

A Quest Diagnostics Incorporated – CDC collaboration in 2000  pioneered  exploration  of  test  ordering data to enhance infectious diseasessurveillance1. This  year’s  unexpected shortage of vaccine and reports of human illness caused by avian influenza  A  (H5N1)  in  Asia2  heightened concern about  influenza and focused attention on moving toward more complete, real time surveillance. We extended our previous collaboration to explore the use of  the Quest Diagnostics Corporate Informatics Data Warehouse (QIDW) as a tool for surveillance of influenza.

Objective

To explore the potential of a large commercial data warehouse for influenza surveillance.