Interested in Prioritization? Sign up for ISDS's Aug 1 Webinar!

On Thursday, August 1, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT (17:00 - 18:30 GMT), ISDS will host a webinar on prioritization approaches to multi-dimensional health problems.

Victor Del Rio, from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), will introduce multi-dimensional problems and provide examples of prioritization exercises in health settings.

Next, Gilberto Montibeller of the London School of Economics and Political Science will describe methodological challenges and focus on assessing impacts, modeling values, and ranking priorities.

Finally, Kim Stevens of the Royal Veterinary College, London, will provide applications of multi-criteria-decision analysis to spatial risk prioritization and describe approaches to validation.

Looking for more information? Want to register? Click here!

Research & Development Roadmap Points Way to Biological Preparedness

The U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy recently released the National Biosurveillance Science and Technology Roadmap, which identifies and prioritizes research and development (R&D)  needs with the goal of giving decision makers and responders the information they need to protect the public from biological threats.

Biological threats such as the H7N9 influenza virus and the novel coronavirus recently identified in the Middle East—as well as those resulting from accidental releases or exposures or intentional, malevolent activities—have the potential to erupt suddenly and evolve quickly. Surveillance is essential for predicting, preventing, and mitigating the impacts of such events.

The Roadmap, drafted by the interagency Biosurveillance Science and Technology Working Group under the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on Homeland and National Security, builds upon the National Strategy for Biosurveillance, published in July 2012. That document recognized that a well-integrated national biosurveillance enterprise can save lives by providing timely and accurate information for better decision making. The Roadmap identifies R&D priorities and objectives to enable implementation of the Strategy, such as:

• Establish baseline levels of community and ecosystem risks, threats, and health;

• Focus on R&D relating to forecasting technologies and models that consider ecological and evolutionary drivers of disease impact;

• Develop rapid, reliable next-generation detection and diagnostic capabilities; and

• Develop a national, interagency data-sharing framework that integrates biosurveillance information from disparate sources.

*This announcement was posted by Franca Jones, OSTP’s Assistant Director for Chemical and Biological Countermeasures, to http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/06/17/rd-roadmap-points-way-biological-preparedness. ISDS modified it slightly for this context.

*NEW* Free 1-Year ISDS Membership for Professionals from Low-income and Lower-middle-income Countries

At the June ISDS Board of Directors meeting, the Directors approved a proposal to provide a mechanism for new and renewing members from low-income and lower-middle-income countries, as defined by the World Bank, to apply for a 1-year ISDS membership at no cost. This membership option will be available until December 31, 2013. It will then be evaluated to determine if it has resulted in increased engagement with professionals working in the field of biosurveillance from low-income and lower-middle-income countries, and if it will be continued in 2014.

To apply for this new membership option, please complete the application form.

For more information about ISDS Membership, please visit our website.

eHealth Initiative Webinar: How Will ICD-10 Impact You?

A webinar to review a national multi-stakeholder survey.

Date/Time: Monday, July 8th at 1:30pm EDT

eHealth Initiative and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) are releasing the results of a national multi-stakeholder survey, sponsored by 3M, on the strategic impact of ICD-10 across the healthcare industry. Join us on July 8 to learn how the conversion to ICD-10 will impact vendors, pharmacies, labs, payers, hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers. This webinar will review the survey results, and host a reactionary panel of industry experts, including:

• Allison Viola, MBA, RHIA, Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs, eHealth Initiative
• Ann Chenoweth, MBA, RHIA, Senior Director of Industry Relations, 3M Health Information Systems
• Sue Bowman, MJ, RHIA, CCS, FAHIMA, Senior Director, Coding Policy and Compliance, AHIMA
• John Lucabaugh, MBA, RHIA, Vice President of Health Information Management, Summit Health

Register NOW

For questions, contact Rebecca Jones at 202.624.3283. Join us and register soon as spaces are quickly filling up!

2013 ISDS Conference Travel Request Toolkit - NOW Available

Why the ISDS Conference?

The annual ISDS conference is a truly unique experience that is highly educational and career-enhancing. It is a cross-disciplinary conference that is relevant to many areas, including One Health; surveillance for infectious diseases, chronic diseases, and environmental health issues; as well as pharmacovigilance. In addition, along with numerous sessions on informatics, disease surveillance policy, analytical methods, and public health surveillance practice, you will learn and discover how to implement ideas that improve your professional skills. In fact, on the 2012 ISDS Conference evaluation, about 90% of respondents indicated that they may or will make changes in their work – for example, in their methods or tools – based on what they learned at the ISDS Conference.

As you attend sessions and network with colleagues, you will have the opportunity to interact with professionals from a variety of sectors, including governmental, academic, non-profit, and for-profit. Every year, these interactions result in the launch of exciting new collaborations and the development of innovations. In addition, the 2013 ISDS Pre-Conference Workshopsand Conference will provide:

•  Information about the most up-to-date practices, tools, and research results.
•  Access to the extensive and collective expertise of ISDS members and other stakeholders.
• High quality training opportunities that build workforce competencies relevant to your practical needs.
• Opportunities to contribute to the evidence-base in published conference proceedings.

Participating in the 2013 ISDS Conference offers an invigorating opportunity that creates a foundation for professional achievement and, ultimately, a more rewarding career. 

Toolkit

Most ISDS Conference attendees must request permission from their organization to attend, and while the precise information and degree to which individuals must justify their attendance may vary, there are common elements that are often required. The purpose of this toolkit is to provide professionals interested in attending the 2013 ISDS Pre-Conference Workshops and Conference with the tools they need to submit a travel request to their organization. We invite you to use and adapt the following tools based on your needs:

1. Information on return on investment (ROI);
2. Sample letter to your supervisor;
3. Information on Certified in Public Health (CPH)recertification credits;
4. Letter of invitation (for you); and
5. Preliminary agendas.

Learn more.

New Publication: Steps to a Sustainable Public Health Surveillance Enterprise

Figure 1 in 'Steps to a Sustainable Public Health
Surveillance Enterprise,' illustrates the recommended
steps to a sustainable surveillance enterprise.

More than a decade into the 21^st century, the ability to effectively forecast, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks and other events of public health significance remains a major challenge. As an issue that affects population health, economic stability, and global security, the surveillance enterprise warrants the attention of decision makers at all levels. Public health practitioners responsible for surveillance functions are best positioned to identify the key factors associated with creating and maintaining effective and sustainable surveillance systems. This paper presents the recommendations of a Sustainable Surveillance Workgroup convened by ISDS to identify strategies for building, strengthening, and maintaining surveillance systems that are equipped to adequately promote and protect the public’s health.

Mirza N, Reynolds T, Coletta M, Suda K, Soyiri I, Markle A, Leopold H, Lenert L, Samoff E, Siniscalchi A, Streichert L. Steps to a Sustainable Public Health Surveillance Enterprise. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics. 2013;5(2). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5210%2Fojphi.v5i2.4703.

View article.

Surescripts Technology Challenge

Tracking influenza in real time. Chance to win $25,000 prize!

Application Deadline: July 15, 2013

Currently, public health officials rely on a number of data sources to track influenza activity; however most of the data reported are days old when accessed. The Surescripts Technology Challenge invites applicants to create an analytical engine that can use Surescripts data captured in real time to track influenza.

We are seeking individual women applicants and women team-leaders for this challenge. Men are welcome to participate as part of teams led by women. Our goal is to provide a platform and help strengthen efforts underway to encourage women to lead in the areas of technology, health and science. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) will be serving as an advisor to Surescripts for this Challenge.

Applicants are required to submit mock-ups and navigation flow, as well as a statement of their qualifications and interest in this challenge in PDF format. Please submit your application via email to jill.mulligan@surescripts.com by July 15, 2013.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Team Lead must be a female serving as a key participating member of the tech team
• Ability for the Team Lead to present at a one-day session in Washington DC on Wednesday, November 13th
• Surescripts and ASTHO employees are not eligible
• See below for complete terms and conditions

For more information, please visit Surescripts' website.