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310063
Incorporation of School Absenteeism Data into the Maryland Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE)
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Anikah Salim, MPH, CPH
,
Office of Preparedness and Response, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD
Syndromic surveillance offers the potential for earlier detection of bioterrorism, outbreaks, and other public health emergencies. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) Office of Preparedness and Response (OP&R) conducts enhanced surveillance using the Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE). Since its inception, ESSENCE has been a vital tool for DHMH, providing continuous situational awareness for public health policy decision makers. It has been established in the public health community that syndromic surveillance data, including school absenteeism data, has efficacy in monitoring influenza activity. Analysis of Maryland ESSENCE data demonstrates that ED visits for influenza-like illness (ILI), thermometer sales, and over-the counter (OTC) sales for flu medications increase before the first confirmed case of influenza. Schools have the potential to play a major role in the spread of influenza during an epidemic. Therefore, having school absenteeism data in ESSENCE would provide the opportunity to monitor schools during influenza season and take appropriate actions to mitigate infections and the spread of disease. As of June 30, 2012, Maryland became the first state in the United States to incorporate 100% of the public school systems (1,424 schools) into ESSENCE. Each school system daily reports absenteeism data via a secure FTP transfer to DHMH. OP&R epidemiologists review and analyze the data for disease surveillance purposes in conjunction with other data sources in ESSENCE (ED visits, poison control center data and pharmacy data). Integrating school absenteeism data will provide a more complete analysis of potential public health threats and is a best practice for other states.
Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Assess the role of school absenteeism in disease surveillance.
Identify methods for partnering with local jurisdictions to incorporate school absenteeism data into disease surveillance systems.
Identify methods for examining and analyzing school absenteeism data in conjunction with various other data elements.
Identify the challenges faced and ways to overcome the challenges of integrating school absenteeism data into disease surveillance systems.
Demonstrate processes to enhance collaboration between local health departments and public school systems.
Keyword(s): Data Collection and Surveillance, School-Based Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I earned my B.S. degree in biology from the University of South Carolina in 2006 and my M.S.P.H. degree in epidemiology from Emory University in 2008. I have worked as a registered environmental health specialist and an epidemiologist in both the private and public sectors. For the last four years I have conducted syndromic surveillance in Maryland and the National Capital Region as the lead for the ESSENCE program at the Maryland Department of Health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
