Reducing Jurisdictional Variation in Reporting Criteria: Can We? Should We?

Key Objectives:
To learn about the Variability Assessment Workgroup as a part of the Reportable Condition Knowledge Management System (RCKMS) and the initial findings of variation from RCKMS pilot jurisdictions. To discuss possible policy changes and/or strategies that could lead to reduction in variation. 

Brief Summary:
CSTE and CDC have established a workgroup in connection with the Reportable Condition Knowledge Management System (RCKMS) project.  During a prior pilot project, a repository that can support variability was created, reporting specifications from participating jurisdictions were loaded, and machine-processable reporting specifications in multiple formats were produced for use by reporters.  The current pilot project aims to demonstrate that reporting specifications can be held in a clinical decision support system (e.g., OpenCDS) as executable rules to return instructions that a lab or case report should be sent, not sent, or to provide additional guidelines that can be used by reporters to determine whether a lab or case report should be sent to public health.  Partners in the effort include 10 public health jurisdictions (state and local), a reporter (Intermountain, with both clinical and laboratory components), and a clinical decision support implementer (HLN Consulting, LLC). The Variability Assessment Workgroup aims to utilize information from the current pilot project to describe and classify the variation in reporting criteria across jurisdictions, describe the reporting challenges created by this variation, and formulate policy and/or strategy toward reducing variation to support future development of electronic case reporting from EMRs/EHRs.  This round table will present initial findings of variation from the pilots, and will provide an opportunity for discussion of possible policy changes and/or strategies that will lead to reduction in variation.