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Communication

Description

VA is the U.S. federal agency responsible for providing services to America’s Veterans. Within VA, VHA is the organization responsible for administration of health care services. VHA, with 152 Medical Centers and over 900 outpatient clinics located throughout the U.S. and territories, provided care to over 5 million patients in 2011. After the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, OSP, which oversees VA senior level briefing of preparedness issues, conceptualized and initiated SMEC-bio as a protocol-based mechanism to incorporate timely VHA subject matter expertise into leadership decision making via the VA IOC. Previous work has examined collection and integration of data from VA and interagency sources for trend and predictive analyses (1). This current work is an initial assessment of SMEC-bio reporting, which has been in development for the past year and functions on an ad hoc basis for decision support; needs and gaps can be assessed toward a formalized communication plan with the VA IOC.

Objective

To assess Reports sent from the United States VA Subject Matter Expertise Center for Biological Events (SMEC-bio) – a proof-of concept decision support initiative – to the VA Integrated Operations Center (VA IOC).

 

Submitted by uysz on
Description

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency Chemical and Biological Technologies Directorate (DTRA CB) has initiated the Biosurveillance Ecosystem (BSVE) research and development program. Work process flow diagrams, with associated explanations and historical examples, were developed based on in-person, structured interviews with public health and preventative medicine analysts from a variety of Department of Defense (DoD) organizations, and with one organization in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and with a major U.S. city health department. The particular nuanced job characteristics of each organization were documented and subsequently validated with the individual analysts. Additionally, the commonalities across different organizations were described in meta-workflow diagrams and descriptions.

Objective

Operational biosurveillance capability gaps were analyzed and the required characteristics of new technology were outlined, the results of which will be described in this contribution.

Submitted by uysz on
Description

Preventing communicable disease spread is a primary objective for public health (PH). Reaching contagious people in a timely manner is essential to limit disease spread. Notifying patients of their infectious status also serves as an official reminder of social and legal responsibilities. The Marion County Public Health Department (MCPHD) sends disease information and Notice of Privacy Practices to patients using the United States Postal Service (USPS). We examined communicable disease cases with undelivered mail to ascertain failure causes and rates.

Objective

Explore causes of undelivered letters sent by public health departments to patients with communicable diseases.

Submitted by teresa.hamby@d… on
Description

Over several months in 2012, NYC DOHMH syndromic surveillance staff met with directors of all 49 participating EDs in our syndromic system to collect information on their health information systems coding practices. During these interviews, ED directors expressed interest in receiving summary reports of the data they send to the syndromic unit, such as number of ED visits, most common complaints, and temporal and spatial trends. This effort was done to increase communication and cooperation between the syndromic unit and the EDs that provide data to the syndromic system.

Objective

To share monthly summary reports of syndromic data to participating EDs in NYC.

Submitted by teresa.hamby@d… on
Description

The 2012 National Strategy for Biosurveillance1 calls for improved integration, synchronization, and coordination of national biosurveillance activities and acknowledges the benefits of collective knowledge through sharing and receiving of biosurveillance information via strengthened partnerships amongst international, federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, private sector, nongovernmental, academic and other participants. To assist in meeting these goals and goals specifically called out by United States (U.S.) Military and international partners, the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense began developing a software suite to support biosurveillance needs. In October 2014, the Biosurveillance Portal (BSP) will be deployed to support biosurveillance operations in the Korean Theater. In October 2016, the BSP will be available globally

Objective

This presentation aims to describe the development, initial use, and future directions of the Biosurveillance Portal.

Submitted by teresa.hamby@d… on