Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #112605

Rita Velikina, MPH, Patricia Araki, MPH, Moon Kim, MD , MPH, Raymond Aller, MD, MPH, and Laurene Mascola, MD, MPH. Acute Communicable Disease Control Program, Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Unit, Los Angeles Department of Health Services, 313 N. Figueroa St, Ste 222, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 213-989-7208, rvelikina@ladhs.org

Background: Syndromic surveillance, in which clinical data are classified into categories and monitored over time, has emerged as an important tool in the early detection of potential bioterrorist events and emerging infectious diseases. In order to increase its sensitivity, different clinical and non-traditional data sources have been integrated into the syndromic surveillance system of Los Angeles County (LAC) Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Unit.

Methods: In order to obtain the data sources, staff met with administrative, clinical, and information systems personnel from various clinical settings. Memoranda of understanding, user agreements, and transmission protocols were developed and signed in order to ensure confidential use of the data. Current syndromic categories are gastrointestinal, respiratory, rash and neurological.

Results: Daily emergency department (ED) logs are electronically received from nine major hospitals. CDC Early Aberration Reporting System algorithm is applied to the data, though algorithms provided by University of Pittsburgh and Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory will also be used to analyze the data. Over-the-counter sales, provided by University of Pittsburgh, unusual death surveillance provided by the LAC Coroner's Office, Biosense, and an ED volume based-surveillance system, are also reviewed daily.

Conclusion: Despite numerous data sources, improved geographical coverage of LAC is still necessary and recruitment of additional EDs is underway. Exploration of other data sources, such as military outpatient visits, nurse hotlines and ambulatory clinical data, is being conducted. Protocols for signal generation integrating all data sources are still being developed; however, inclusion of these different data sources has strengthened relationships with community agencies.

Learning Objectives:

• • List the different data sources used by the LAC syndromic surveillance system.
• • Articulate the methods by which the data sources were obtained.
• • Discuss current as well as future algorithms used for data analysis.
• • Describe the additional data sources that are currently being explored by LAC.

Keywords: Bioterrorism, Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.