Final Materials Now Posted for 9th Annual Conference

With the 9th Annual Conference now less than two weeks away, the ISDS team is busy making the final preparations for Park City, Utah.  

Final versions of the following documents are now posted on www.syndromic.org:

Full Conference Agenda
Oral Presentation Schedule
Poster Presenter List

In addition, plenary and keynote speaker bios are now available. 

Research Committee Webinar: "Developing Syndrome Definitions Based on Consensus and Current Use"

For its November meeting, the ISDS Research Committee has invited Wendy Chapman, PhD, Associate Professor in the Division of Biomedical Informatics at the UCSD School of Medicine, to present her recent publication in JAMIA entitled, "Developing Syndrome Definitions Based on Consensus and Current Use." 

The presentation will be followed by a discussion, moderated by Don Olson, on evaluating a standard ILI syndrome definition across multiple sites in the Distribute Project.  Since the Distribute Project began in 2006, sites have been sending their aggregated emergency department ILI syndrome data, collected using region-specific definitions that accommodate sites' own surveillance needs.  The wish to improve comparability across systems has led to continued efforts to standardize.  The question of how best to harmonize syndrome definitions across disparate systems remains, thus, it is hoped that in this discussion, participants can weigh in on how to begin incorporating Chapman's findings into the ILI-S Pilot Project. 

Date:  Thursday, November 18th; 12:00-1:30 pm US EST

Register Online

More Information

BioSense Redesign Invites Stakeholders to Make Sense of Surveillance

Another important announcement from our colleagues at CDC:

Using input and guidance from our local, state, and federal surveillance partners, CDC is pleased to annouce that the BioSense Redesign is underway! The goal of the redesign is to coordinate and link exisiting surveillance systems and build capacity where it’s needed.  This renewed focus will ensure rapid and enhanced interchange of surveillance information.

Bottom line, we want BioSense to meet your needs.  By integrating local- and state-level data into a cohesive picture, BioSense will accomplish three objectives—(1) provide more useful information for state and local users; (2) supply multipurpose value of timely data for regional entities and organizations (i.e., multistate); and (3) offer a national picture of multiple health outcomes and syndromes. 

We’ll be the first to admit that our redesign efforts are a major undertaking; however, we truly view the redesign as a collaborative effort that places you, the stakeholder, at the center of the redesign process.   Currently, we are gaining invaluable feedback and recommendations from stakeholders like you, through a number of methods, including the BioSense Redesign Collaboration Web Site—the focal point of the redesign. 

If you have not already done so, please take a moment to visit this site.  There you will find a number of interactive elements, like the Requirements Gathering Work Center and the Syndromic Surveillance Systems Coverage Map.  The Work Center is a virtual space where we gather stakeholder feedback on topics ranging from capacity and governance to application design.  New questions are posted for user input on a weekly to biweekly basis.  Additionally, the Coverage Map, which has been populated with data from the Distribute project, provides a snapshot of the nation’s syndromic surveillance systems.  Like the BioSense Redesign, maintenance of the Coverage Map is a collaborative effort that can only be successful with stakeholder input. 

Your feedback is invaluable and it will directly impact the redesign of the BioSense program.  We hope that you will become a regular visitor and contributor to the Requirements Gathering Work Center. If you are the appropriate person to edit your jurisdiction’s data on the Coverage Map, please send an e-mail and your name will be added to our list of approved site editors.

Visit the BioSense Redesign Collaboration Web Site and view the Coverage Map or view the Requirements Gathering Work Center.

Let’s make sense of surveillance together!

October Literature Review: Absolute Humidity and Influenza Transmission Dynamics

On Tuesday, October 26th, the Literature Review subcommittee is hosting its bi-monthly Literature Review, along with a special presentation by scientist Jeffery Shaman of the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University.  The meeting will begin at 12:00 pm EST with a short summary of recent publications, followed by Shaman's presentation at 12:30 pm EST. 

 

Shaman will discuss his groundbreaking work investigating the role of absolute humidity on influenza transmission dynamics, including his recent paper "Absolute Humidity and the Seasonal Onset of Influenza in the Continental United States," published in PLoS Biology.  His recent work on this topic have fundamentally changed the way we understand influenza seasonality -- and they may well alter how we practice disease surveillance in the future.  Be sure not to miss this opportunity!

 

Register here

Call for Papers: International Conference on Animal Health Surveillance 2011

The International Society for Disease Surveillance would like to pass along an announcement sent to us by some of our members.  Earlier this year, it was announced that the first ever International Conference on Animal Health Surveillance would be happening in Lyon, France in May 2011.

The ICAHS is now accepting submissions for papers and has opened registration:

"The aim of the conference is to gather scientists and policy makers working in the area of animal health surveillance to exchange new ideas and better understand the challenges and opportunities that each group faces, and to develop solutions for future surveillance approaches under considerations of efficiency, cost-effectiveness and quality that fulfill the needs of both policy and science. We hereby invite submissions of papers for oral and poster presentations. Oral presentations will be 15 minutes plus discussion. Details on poster formats will be provided directly to the authors after acceptance of their submission.

Submissions are invited in the following themes:

1)  Value and evaluation of surveillance systems
2)  Design of surveillance for different objectives and populations (developing and developed countries)
3)  Data collection, transmission and management
4)  Dissemination of surveillance information
5)  Training in animal health surveillance
6)   Implementation of surveillance"

 Read the full Call for Paper Submissions

ISDS Workgroup Supports Meaningful Use of EHR Technology

This fall, as CMS certifies technologies for the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) Incentive Program, ISDS's Meaningful Use Workgroup is developing core EHR requirements for syndromic surveillance to support meaningful use by public health authorities.  

Convened in July, this eight member Workgroup of public health surveillance experts will document current syndromic surveillance business processes and data requirements.  The BioSense Program of the CDC Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services is providing funding to support these activities.

On September 27th, ISDS published the Workgroup's Preliminary Recommendation.  This document presents a snapshot of their work, including: A listing of syndromic surveillance business goals, objectives and processes; and a minimum data set commonly used in public health syndromic surveillance.

ISDS members and other community stakeholders will have an opportunity to contribute during an open commenting period scheduled for late-November to mid-December.   The Workgroup's Final Recommendation will be released in January 2011.

Learn more about Meaningful Use Workgroup, and find resources on the EHR Incentive Program on the project's page on syndromic.org.

ISDS Job Opening: Executive Director

The International Society for Disease Surveillance is currently accepting applications for an Executive Director position.

Summary:
The Executive Director of the International Society for Disease Surveillance (ISDS) functions as the Chief Executive Officer of the society and provides leadership and direction for ISDS in collaboration with the Board of Directors.  The Executive Director is responsible for overall strategic planning, setting annual goals and objectives, revenue generation, financial management, organizational development, implementation of policies set by the Board of Directors as well as administrative management of the Society. The Executive Director reports to the ISDS Board President and Executive Committee.
The Executive Director is responsible for identifying, developing and implementing policies and programs which support the ongoing work of the Society. The Society’s work is primarily organized through the activities of specific committees, including: Public Health Practice, Education and Training, Research, and Global Outreach.

View full job description