Abstract
The collection of timely and accurate healthcare data is imperative to successful disease reporting in public health. The devastating effects of fragmented and inaccurate disease reporting became readily apparent during COVID-19. The purpose of this chapter is to review public health disease reporting practices for consideration of incorporation of electronic health records into disease reporting. The perspectives of physicians were gathered through a case study focused on disease reporting and interoperability with electronic health records. Findings from this chapter may prove useful in public health policy review and for decision-making in meaningful use legislation and health information technology integration. Findings from this research may also serve as the catalyst for additional research focused on public health industry perspectives, various disease reporting mandates, and the incorporation of health information technology into public health disease reporting processes.
TopIntroduction
Physicians and facilities are responsible for reporting communicable and chronic diseases to the appropriate public health agencies. Despite the existence of reporting processes since the late 1800s, the reporting methods vary greatly, which often leads to significant gaps in data and information that can be used to facilitate public health activities (CDC, 2017; Wu, 2014). Reporting public health data and information sharing are critical components in improving national health outcomes. This information is used to develop healthcare policies and foster initiatives to enhance population health (Herwehe et al., 2012). Recent reflections on the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed many of the disastrous effects that delays in the transmission of critical public health information can have on overall population health.
Passage of a variety of health care initiatives has increased the opportunity to incorporate electronic health records (EHRs) into patient care and public health activities nationwide. Implementation of Meaningful Use guidelines and financial incentives by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has led to increased collaboration between electronic health systems and public health agencies (Calman, Hauser, Lurio, Wu, & Pichardo, 2012; CMS, 2013; Dixon et al., 2017; Wu, 2014). Despite these regulations and the potential for timely and accurate public health information to inform population health activities, many physicians still report disease information through manual methods (Birkhead, 2017; Mandl, 2014; Richards et al., 2017). Manual reporting of communicable disease data has proved problematic, as it has led to significant gaps in collected data and underreporting of public health information as a whole (CDC, 2017; Markiewicz et al., 2012). These lapses in information collection make it difficult to identify disease trends and public health emergencies, which inhibit activities aimed at proactively mitigating public health risks.
This chapter aims to review public health disease reporting practices for future consideration of incorporating electronic health records into public health syndromic surveillance. The objective will be accomplished by reviewing a case study that focuses on physicians' perspectives as they relate to the use of electronic health records in mandatory public health disease reporting. Implications for leaders across the health care and public health continuums will be explored, and future considerations for research will be discussed.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Active Surveillance Methods: A form of public health surveillance that involves initiation of reporting information from public health agencies to health care facilities.
Qualtrics: An online survey tool that can be used to create, distribute, and collect data for research.
Meaningful Use: The use of certified electronic health records technology in a manner that provides for the electronic exchange of health information to improve the quality of care (CDC, 2017).
Syndromic Surveillance: The process of monitoring patient encounters to identify symptoms related to infectious diseases and other medical conditions that may affect public health (Calman et al., 2012).
Passive Surveillance Methods: A form of public health surveillance that involves health care providers initiating and transmitting disease reports to local health departments and public health agencies.
Population Health: The health outcomes of a group of individuals, to include the distributions of outcomes within the group.
Interoperability: The ability for systems to communicate with one another.
Manual Reporting: The use of paper-based methods to report diseases to public health agencies.