TheraDoc Enables Automated Real-Time Notification of Notifiable Diseases in Nebraska Health & Human Services System.Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers BIOWIRE2K SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 1, 2004 Real-time surveillance system automatically transmits pertinent laboratory data from Great Plains Regional Medical Center to the State Health Department In a groundbreaking move to accelerate and improve the quality and delivery of notifiable disease no·ti·fi·a·ble disease n. A disease that must be reported to public health authorities at the time it is diagnosed because it is potentially dangerous to human or animal health. Also called reportable disease. reports to a public health department, TheraDoc Inc.(R), the Nebraska Health and Human Services Noun 1. Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 Department of Health and Human Services, HHS System (NHHS NHHS Newport Harbor High School (Newport Beach, CA) NHHS New Hampshire Historical Society NHHS New Hanover High School (Wilmington, NC) NHHS North Hollywood High School ), and Great Plains Regional Medical Center (GPRMC GPRMC Great Plains Regional Medical Command GPRMC Groupement européen des Plastiques Renforcés / Matériaux Composites GPRMC General Purpose Remote Machining Center GPRMC Groupement des Plastiques Renforcés du Marché Commun ) in North Platte North Platte, city, United States North Platte (plăt), city (1990 pop. 22,605), seat of Lincoln co., W central Nebr., at the confluence of the North Platte and South Platte rivers; inc. 1873. , Neb., have collaborated to utilize the extensive real-time surveillance capabilities of TheraDoc's expert system technology. Through this collaboration, GPRMC is helping Nebraska document occurrences of notifiable diseases by electronically transmitting pertinent laboratory data to the Department of Health and Human Services Noun 1. Department of Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 Health and Human Services, HHS via TheraDoc's "Public Health Network Assistant" (PHNA PHNA Public Health Nursing Association PHNA Pine Hills Neighborhood Association (New York) PHNA Parkland Hills Neighborhood Association (Albuquerque, NM) ) solution as they occur. Jonathan B. Olson, B.S., TheraDoc's chief technology officer, stated, "TheraDoc's standards-based expert system infrastructure fostered the rapid deployment of a real-time system where notifiable disease alerts can now be sent from GPRMC directly to the Nebraska State Health Department. The automated notification process is a breakthrough for public health surveillance and happens as a byproduct by·prod·uct or by-prod·uct n. 1. Something produced in the making of something else. 2. A secondary result; a side effect. Noun 1. of the natural workflow of GPRMC's clinical professionals." In January 2003, GPRMC contracted with TheraDoc, a medical informatics medical informatics, n the field of information science concerned with the analysis and dissemination of medical data through the application of computers to various aspects of health care and medicine. company, to implement its expert clinical decision-support system to enhance the hospital's infection control, quality of care and patient safety initiatives. Linked with GPRMC's multiple information systems, TheraDoc's knowledge-based technology continually surveys patient population data to detect instances of naturally occurring infectious diseases, chemical exposures, and the targeted introduction of biological agents. Nebraska's Quest to Monitor Infectious Diseases Proven successful within the first three months of implementation at GPRMC, TheraDoc's real-time public health surveillance capabilities came to the attention of Nebraska state epidemiologist Tom Safranek, M.D., who was investigating how the NHHS could receive electronically transmitted notifiable disease reports from individual hospitals across the state. Since that time, TheraDoc has worked closely with Safranek and his team to enable the automated, electronic transmission of GPRMC's laboratory data to the Nebraska Health and Human Services system. Automated Reporting System Meets National Public Health IT Standards Nebraska is a leading state in deploying the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS NEDSS National Electronic Disease Surveillance System NEDSS National Electronic Data Surveillance System ) Base System, and in implementing an electronic lab reporting (ELR ELR Emergency Locking Retractor (seat belts) ELR Environmental Law Reporter ELR Everybody Loves Raymond (TV series) ELR East Lancashire Railway (UK) ) system that is capable of receiving data from local and national laboratories. These systems demand strict compliance with national public health data and information system standards as stipulated in NEDSS, PHIN PHIN Public Health Information Network (CDC) PHIN Philologie Im Netz (German journal) PHIN Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industry News (database) PHIN Pro-Hope International and the PHIN Messaging System (PHIN MS). TheraDoc went to great lengths to ensure that the PHNA complies with regulatory standards, including those outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. . Its integrated surveillance technology and real-time messaging infrastructure provides a solution that enables laboratories to comply with these stringent standards while providing an advanced analysis and notification system to healthcare organizations across the country. Today, the PHNA's automatic transmission of laboratory information for notifiable diseases from GPRMC to the NHHS testifies to the overall success of the collaborative effort. Olson noted, "There is immense value in the timely identification of public health events. Receiving lab data electronically -- and in real time -- allows state health departments to respond more quickly to infectious disease Infectious disease A pathological condition spread among biological species. Infectious diseases, although varied in their effects, are always associated with viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular parasites and aberrant proteins known as prions. outbreaks." He stated further, "We believe that TheraDoc's system could serve as a national model of an automated surveillance, messaging and ELR system that expedites the transmission of critical data from healthcare institutions to public health agencies." The PHNA's targeted functionality provides an opportunity for other states, regions and federal groups to follow Nebraska's lead in real-time public health surveillance and early intervention ear·ly intervention n. Abbr. EI A process of assessment and therapy provided to children, especially those younger than age 6, to facilitate normal cognitive and emotional development and to prevent developmental disability or delay. . Hospitals can now quickly identify notifiable diseases and fulfill their reporting requirements to state or local health departments at the same time. About Public Health Network Assistant To enable early intervention and documentation of infections and other notifiable diseases, TheraDoc's PHNA translates raw lab data and presents it to clinicians and public health officials in standardized medical nomenclature. The infrastructure utilizes a standard HL7 message format to enable real-time transmission of notifiable disease occurrences. Critical patient data is automatically delivered to infectious disease professionals as context-specific, actionable information. In addition, this unique solution monitors several targeted hospital-acquired pathogens to aid clinicians in initiating early treatment and preventing the spread of drug-resistant pathogens. As a result, the PHNA can significantly contribute to the management and reduction of hospital-acquired infection rates. About TheraDoc Inc. TheraDoc is a medical informatics company specializing in therapeutic, real-time decision support that improves the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care in large and small healthcare organizations. Integrated with disparate hospital information systems or electronic medical records, TheraDoc's technology helps clinicians manage multiple processes of care across multiple conditions and diseases. Founded in 1999, TheraDoc designs, develops, and supports a suite of clinical decision support technologies. TheraDoc's founders and core medical informatics team are internationally recognized for their pioneering work in medical expert systems. Their experience in clinical decision support design and development spans two decades. On the Net: TheraDoc's site: www.theradoc.com |
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