Data validation and collecting feedback regarding the utility of the current viral hepatitis collection form are crucial activities for CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH). Currently, cases of viral hepatitis A, B and C are voluntarily reported to CDC by state and territorial health departments via CDC's National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS). Most jurisdictions report data using the National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance (NETSS) formatted questionnaire that has been receiving electronic data since 1990. About 20 jurisdictions submit data using a more current and extensive case report form via the NNDSS Master Message: most of these systems use the NNDSS Base System (NBS) to collect data.
METHODS:
The Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) collaborates with the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS) and CSTE to develop HL7 message mapping guides for acute viral hepatitis A, B and C, perinatal hepatitis B, and past or present hepatitis B and C. DVH has worked with CSELS and other CDC programs to standardize and harmonize the data concepts collected and HL7 messaging. DVH has also worked with states to answer questions related to the viral hepatitis collection. Data validation and collecting comments regarding the utility of the current viral hepatitis collection form are also crucial activities for DVH.
RESULTS:
The adoption of Generic Version 2 of the CDC Individual Case Notification Guide which is the core of every notifiable disease reported to CDC has reduced the number of ‘hepatitis only‘ data elements from 162, 76% of all elements collected, down to 2, 1.1% of all data elements collected. The total number of concepts collected was reduced by 12% from 214 to 189. The reduction in the number of program specific data elements complies with the request from CSTE to standardize and harmonize data elements across CDC. The Hepatitis HL7 message mapping guide has been piloted in 5 non-NBS states and has received extensive feedback from the NBS development group at CDC.
CONCLUSIONS: DVH has worked diligently to translate our current data collection methods into a standardized and harmonized format that will make data collection easier for states to collect and for CDC to manage and report.