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Description

Current influenza-like illness (ILI) monitoring in Idaho is based on syndromic surveillance using laboratory data, combined with periodic person-to-person reports collected by Idaho state workers. This system relies on voluntary reporting.

Electronic medical records offer a method of obtaining data in an automated fashion. The Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) captures real-time visit information, vital signs, ICD-9, pharmacy, and lab data. The electronic medical record surveillance has been utilized for syndromic surveillance on a regional level. Funds supporting expansion of electronic medical records offer increased ability for use in biosurveillance. The addition of temporo-spatial modeling may improve identification of clusters of cases. This abstract reviews our efforts to develop a real-time system of identifying ILI in Idaho using Veterans Administration data and temporo-spatial techniques.

 

Objective

The objective of this study is to describe initial efforts to establish a real-time syndromic surveillance of ILI in Idaho, using data from the Veterans Administration electronic medical record (CPRS).

Submitted by hparton on
Description

Lack of knowledge of rational use of antimalarial drugs among dispensers is a serious problem, especially in areas of intense transmission thus increasing the risk of resistance and adverse drug reactions.

Objective: This study was aimed at assessing the knowledge of malaria as well as perception and dispensing practices of antimalarials among vendors in Buea community.

Submitted by elamb on
Description

Maryland has a powerful syndromic surveillance system, ESSENCE, which is used for the early detection of disease outbreaks, suspicious patterns of illness, and public health emergencies. ESSENCE incorporates traditional and nontraditional health indicators from multiple data sources (emergency department chief complaints, over-the-counter (OTC) medication sales, and poison control center data).

Initially, 15 (30%) acute care hospitals in the National Capital Region and Baltimore Metro Region of the state were sending emergency department (ED) data to ESSENCE. DHMH began planning several years ago to increase the number of hospitals reporting to ESSENCE.

In 2007, Maryland’s Governor introduced a homeland security initiative that outlined 12 Core Goals for A Prepared Maryland. One of core goals was to improve biosurveillance and in 2009, Maryland successfully incorporated 100% (45) acute-care hospitals into ESSENCE. Maryland continues to enhance and improve ESSENCE by incorporating additional data sources such as prescription medication data.

Objective

The purpose of this paper is to describe Maryland’s process of enhancing its Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE) by incorporating additional data sources such as prescription medication data.

Submitted by teresa.hamby@d… on