Utility and Acceptability of Influenza Surveillance amongst Emergency Providers

Each year, influenza affects approximately 5-20% of the United States population causing over 200,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 – 49,000 death. As a key point of entry to the health care system, EDs are responsible for the initial management and treatment of a substantial proportion of these influenza patients, thus directly impacting overall public health. As the front line of influenza diagnosis and treatment, ED providers may benefit from real-time easily shared influenza surveillance information.

Objective

To evaluate the utility and acceptability of a real-time cloud based influenza surveillance tool amongst emergency department (ED) providers.