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Displaying results 9 - 16 of 19
  • Sneezes vs. Wheezes: Syndrome Definitions for Influenza-like Illness

    Content Type: Abstract

    During influenza season, the Boston Public Health Commission uses syndromic surveillance to monitor Emergency Department visits for chief complaints indicative of influenza-like illness (ILI). We created three syndrome definitions for ILI to capture… read more
    … syndromic surveillance to monitor Emergency Department visits for chief complaints indicative of influenza-like … surveillance to monitor Emergency Department (ED) visits for chief complaints indicative of influenza-like … From October 9, 2005 to May 6, 2006 the number of total visits for each ILI syndrome group was recorded daily and …
  • A Syndromic Approach to Emergency Department Surveillance for Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

    Content Type: Abstract

    The incidence of and hospitalizations for SSTI have steadily increased over the last decade in the United States, primarily due to the emergence and spread of community acquired Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). The ED is a… read more
    … Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). The ED is a common site for SSTI treatment and serves populations not captured … to describe the epidemiology of emergency department (ED) visits for skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) in an … absence of laboratory data, to estimate the burden of ED visits associated with SSTI, and to determine potential …
  • Analysis of Syndrome Definitions for Gastrointestinal Illness with ICD9 Codes for Gastroenteritis during the 2006-07 Norovirus Season in Boston

    Content Type: Abstract

    We report on a retrospective analysis of gastrointestinal syndrome definitions based on chief complaints and ICD9 diagnosis for gastroenteritis during the 2006-07 season of increased norovirus activity.
    … system receives daily, de- identified patient-visit data from 10 hospital emer- gency departments (EDs) in the city of Boston. For each patient-visit, data collected includes date of visit, chief … are analyzed for statistical aberrations in the number of visits using the Early Aberration Reporting System (EARSv3). …
  • Syndromic Surveillance and Zip Code Data: The Role of Zip Codes in Understanding Populations

    Content Type: Abstract

    Syndromic surveillance systems use residential zip codes for spatial analysis to identify disease clusters. However, the use of emergency medical services can be influenced by geographic proximity, specialty services, and severity of illness. We… read more
    … The proportion of Boston residents (n=26,560) who sought care at any particular site ranged from 6% to 25%. Of the 490 encounters in the US … by neighborhood from 21.0 to 64.0 per 1,000. The ED visit rate for Boston residents inversely correlated with …
  • Syndromic Surveillance in Support of an Urban Violence Intervention

    Content Type: Abstract

    Our objective was to adapt the city'­s syndromic surveillance system to help guide a violence intervention initiative in response to an upsurge in serious assaults and homicides in Boston.
    … summer of 2006. RESULTS In 2005, a total of 458,376 ED visits were reported by all 9 Boston acute care hospitals. Of the 458,376 visits, 4,177 were due to … is typically received and ap- pended 2-14 days after the visit. Nevertheless, the system demonstrated a capacity to …
  • Using the Emergency Medical Text Processor to Standardize Chief Complaints in Boston's Syndromic Surveillance System

    Content Type: Abstract

    Abbreviation, misspellings, and site specific terminology may misclassify chief complaints syndromes. The Emergency Medical Text Processor (EMT-P) is system that cleans emergency department chief complaints and returns standard terms.… read more
    … Abbreviation, misspellings, and site specific terminology may misclassify chief complaints … Carolina. BACKGROUND Abbreviation, misspellings, and site specific termi- nology may misclassify chief complaints … system receives daily, de- identified patient-visit data from 10 hospital emer- gency departments in the …
  • A Value-Driven Framework For The Evaluation Of Biosurveillance Systems

    Content Type: Abstract

    Evaluation and strengthening of biosurveillance systems is acomplex process that involves sequential decision steps, numerous stakeholders, and requires accommodating multiple and conflicting objectives. Biosurveillance evaluation, the initiating… read more
    … models.Existing evaluation frameworks tend to focus on “hard” technical attributes (e.g. sensitivity) while ignoring … models.Existing evaluation frameworks tend to focus on “hard” technical attributes (e.g. sensitivity) while ignoring …
  • Using Syndromic Surveillance for All-Hazards Public Health Surveillance: Successes, Challenges, and the Future

    Content Type: Journal Article

    Fifteen years have passed since the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 called for the establishment of nationwide surveillance and reporting mechanisms to detect bioterrorism-related events. In the… read more
    … interpreting data that are generated primarily for health care practice and billing purposes. Yoon Paula Ising Amy … interpreting data that are generated primarily for health care practice and billing purposes. …