Call for Pre-Conference "Data Dashboards and Visualizations for Biosurveillance" Swap Meet Presenters

The 2010 ISDS Pre-Conference Workshop will be the second time the so-called "Swap Meet" will be held.  The idea of the "Swap Meet" is to create a setting where presenters and participants can interact, discuss, and share information in a less formal environment.   

This year the pre-conference workshop committee would like to include a "Swap Meet" table on the topic of "Data Dashboards and Visualizations for Biosurveillance."  We are asking for interested individuals/groups to share these data dashboards and visualizations in a poster format, handouts, or laptop demo.  We also strongly encourage the sharing of code, if possible.   

Depending on the response to this request we will be sure to have one or two poster boards available, as well as table(s) where laptops could be set up.  For the most up to date information on the pre-conference workshop, please check the agenda posted on syndromic.org.  If you have any questions please contact Aaron Kite-Powell.  We are looking forward to seeing you at the conference!

Syndromic Surveillance Experts Will Recommend Standards for Stage 1 Meaningful Use

Brighton, Massachusetts –  The International Society for Disease Surveillance (ISDS), with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s BioSense Program has convened a Meaningful Use Workgroup to define current syndromic surveillance business standards and data requirements that best support Stage 1 meaningful use of electronic health record (EHR) technology by public health departments.

In this first project phase, the Workgroup will develop a provisional business process model (BPM), to inform minimum data specifications for syndrome-based public health surveillance.  

An interim Stage 1 Meaningful Use recommendation for EHR vendors on syndromic surveillance data specifications will be released in October and will be ready for public comment starting in November. 

A final Stage 1 Meaningful Use recommendation for syndromic surveillance will incorporate public comments and be released in January, 2011.

ISDS is coordinating this initiative with the Joint Public Health Informatics Taskforce (JPHIT). HLN Consulting, LLC (San Diego, CA), will provide analytic support to the workgroup.

ISDS’s Meaningful Use workgroup consists of seven expert syndromic surveillance practitioners from state and local public health authorities in Florida, Washington, Virginia, Indiana, Georgia, New York, and Boston, MA.

The International Society for Disease Surveillance works to improve population health by advancing the science and practice of surveillance to support timely and effective prevention and response. We facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration, and promote and conduct research, education, and advocacy.

Contact:

Charles Ishikawa, M.S.P.H.

CDC BioSense Redesign Collaboration Site Launch

The following is an announcement from our colleagues at CDC, who recently announced the launch of the new BioSense Collaboration Site: 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Healthcare Information, Public Health Surveillance Program Office, Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services is pleased to announce the launch of the BioSense Redesign Collaboration Site on Wednesday, September 1, 2010.

The collaboration site is the centerpiece of the BioSense Redesign process and features a variety of informative and interactive elements, including a resource library and community forum.  The site also fosters and encourages a transparent community for information exchange among key stakeholders, interested users, and the BioSense Redesign team.  Designed to provide BioSense users and stakeholders with an efficient means of information sharing, the collaboration portal also provides users with the opportunity to

•   follow the project as it progresses,

•   provide input,

•   communicate and exchange ideas with one another, and

•   correspond with the BioSense Redesign team.

The comprehensive and collaborative approach of the BioSense Redesign will ensure the program meets the needs of the diverse users, spurs innovative practices to enhance public health surveillance, and becomes a valuable tool for promoting and protecting the health of our nation.

Please take a moment to visit the site at https://sites.google.com/site/biosenseredesign, and let us know what you think of the site and how we can make it more useful.  Users can provide anonymous comments on the community forum, or send comments to Biosense.redesign2010@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Taha A. Kass-Hout, MD, MS Deputy Director (Acting) for Information Science and BioSense Program Manager Division of Healthcare Information Public Health Surveillance Program Office Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, & Laboratory Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

Sam Groseclose, DVM, MPH, DACVPM (Epi) Director (Acting) Division of Healthcare Information Public Health Surveillance Program Office Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, & Laboratory Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention