Harnessing Electronic Health Records for Public Health Surveillance

Authors

  • Michael Klompas Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA
  • Michael Murphy Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA
  • Julie Lankiewicz Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA
  • Jason McVetta Heliotropic Inc, Los Angeles, CA
  • Ross Lazarus Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA
  • Emma Eggleston Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA
  • Patricia Daly Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA
  • Paul Oppedisano Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA
  • Brianne Beagan Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA
  • Chaim Kirby Children?s Hospital, Boston, MA
  • Richard Platt Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v3i3.3794

Abstract

Electronic medical record (EMR) systems are a rich potential source for detailed, timely, and efficient surveillance of large populations. We created the Electronic medical record Support for Public Health (ESP) system to facilitate and demonstrate the potential advantages of harnessing EMRs for public health surveillance. ESP organizes and analyzes EMR data for events of public health interest and transmits electronic case reports or aggregate population summaries to public health agencies as appropriate. It is designed to be compatible with any EMR system and can be customized to different states’ messaging requirements. All ESP code is open source and freely available. ESP currently has modules for notifiable disease, influenza-like illness syndrome, and diabetes surveillance. An intelligent presentation system for ESP called the RiskScape is under development. The RiskScape displays surveillance data in an accessible and intelligible format by automatically mapping results by zip code, stratifying outcomes by demographic and clinical parameters, and enabling users to specify custom queries and stratifications. The goal of RiskScape is to provide public health practitioners with rich, up-to-date views of health measures that facilitate timely identification of health disparities and opportunities for targeted interventions. ESP installations are currently operational in Massachusetts and Ohio, providing live, automated surveillance on over 1 million patients. Additional installations are underway at two more large practices in Massachusetts.

Author Biographies

Michael Klompas, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA

MD, MPH

Michael Murphy, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA

BA

Julie Lankiewicz, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA

MPH

Ross Lazarus, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA

MBBCh

Emma Eggleston, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA

MD, MPH

Patricia Daly, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA

MS, RN

Paul Oppedisano, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA

MPH

Brianne Beagan, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA

MPH

Chaim Kirby, Children?s Hospital, Boston, MA

JD, MA

Richard Platt, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA

MD, MSc.

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Published

2011-12-22

How to Cite

Klompas, M., Murphy, M., Lankiewicz, J., McVetta, J., Lazarus, R., Eggleston, E., … Platt, R. (2011). Harnessing Electronic Health Records for Public Health Surveillance. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v3i3.3794

Issue

Section

Original Articles