Online Program

329250
Exploring the Impacts of Public Health Laws on Syndromic Disease Surveillance Practices in the United States


Monday, November 2, 2015

Jonathan Purtle, DrPH, MPH, MSc, Department of Health Management & Policy, Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA
Robert Field, JD, MPH, PhD, Department of Health Management and Policy, Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA
Esther Chernak, MD, MPH, Center for Public Health Readiness & Communication, Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA
Tom Hipper, MSPH, MA, Center for Public Health Readiness and Communication, Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA
Jillian Nash Arot, MA, Center for Public Health Readiness and Communication, Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia
Public health surveillance prevents morbidity and mortality by monitoring notifiable diseases. The widespread adoption of electronic health information technology has catalyzed the practice of syndromic disease surveillance (SyS)—the highly automated analysis of clinical data to monitor trends in clusters of symptoms (i.e., syndromes), which can identify outbreaks more rapidly than notifiable disease surveillance. The federal government invested in SyS infrastructure after the anthrax attacks of 2001, and all 50 states have a SyS program today. The rapid development of SyS practices, however, may have outpaced the evolution of public health laws that authorize notifiable disease surveillance. As a result, the potential of SyS to protect public health may be constrained.

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of laws on SyS practices in the United States. We are investigating these questions through a multi-site, qualitative case study research design. We have purposively selected 5 jurisdictions as case study sites and are conducting semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 7-10 SyS stakeholders (e.g., state/local health officials, legal counsel, hospital personnel) in each. All interviews are being audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by 2 coders using thematic content analysis. We have also identified and analyzed relevant legal documents. The impact of federal/state health information privacy statutes, the legal terms of data use agreements, and Meaningful Use Regulations have emerged as areas of research focus.

This study is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and data collection will be complete by the time of the presentation and preliminary findings will be available.

Learning Areas:

Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the legal issues related to syndromic disease surveillance practices at local, state, and federal levels

Keyword(s): Surveillance, Law

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am PI of the research project, have a DrPH, MPH, and MSc, and am an assistant professor in an accredited school of public 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.