Epi Info™ is a public domain suite of software tools designed for the global community of public health practitioners and researchers. It provides for easy data entry form and database construction, a customized data entry experience, and data analyses with epidemiologic statistics, maps, and graphs for public health professionals who may lack an information technology background. Epi Info™ is used for outbreak investigations; for developing small to mid-sized disease surveillance systems; as analysis, visualization, and reporting (AVR) components of larger systems; and in the continuing education in the science of epidemiology and public health analytic methods at schools of public health around the world.

Part I will highlight the data collection aspects of Epi Info™. Participants will learn how to quickly design data collection forms using the Epi Info™ Form Designer and explore various Epi Info™ technologies (Web Survey http://wwwn.cdc.gov/epiinfo/user-guide/survey/introduction.html

, Companion for Android http://epiinfoandroid.codeplex.com/, and Web Enter) for collecting data.  Group exercises will consist of hands-on use of these tools to solve challenges in simulated scenarios based on a community health assessment survey.

Participants are requested to bring their own laptops running Microsoft Windows (XP or above) with capability to connect to the conference’s wireless Internet.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how to develop data collection forms in Epi Info™ 7.

• Understand how to incorporate business rules in an Epi Info™ 7 form.

• Identify the appropriate Epi Info™ data collection tool for a given scenario.

• Overview of Web Survey, Companion for Android, Web Enter

• Understand how to publish forms to collect data over the web using Epi Info™ 7 Web Survey and Web Enter.
• Understand the requirements needed to utilize these tools within an organization
• Get specific Epi Info™ questions answered by an Epi Info™ expert.

Facilitators
Epi Info team members (TBD)

Part II of the workshop will highlight importing data into a central database repository from data collected through Epi Info™ 7 Desktop, Web Survey, Companion for Android, and Web Enter.  Once data has been collected and imported, participants will learn how to set up dashboards to analyze data using the Visual Dashboard.  Participants will explore the various statistical analyses that can be performed using Epi Info™ and learn the limitations and appropriateness of each for a given data set. An overview of EWAV (Epi Info Web Analytics and Visualization) will also be provided.

Learning Objectives:

• ·         Understand how to import data collected over the web using Epi Info™ 7 Web Survey and Web Enter.
• ·         Understand the requirements needed to utilize these tools within an organization
• ·         Understand how to create Epi Info™ 7 analytic dashboards
• ·         Understand how to perform statistical analysis on different types of data sets
• ·         Understand some of the features available in Epi Info Web Analytics and Visualization.

Participants are requested to bring their own laptops running Microsoft Windows (XP or above) with capability to connect to the conference’s wireless Internet.

Overview of Epi Info™ 7 Data Collection Technologies

Web Survey

The Epi Info™ Web Survey System allows the survey designer to collect information from participants over the internet. Participants will learn how to distribute and collect surveys remotely to a wide variety and number of participants. Survey forms can be published to any properly configured web server hosted by your institution or an outside party. After surveys have been submitted, the survey designer downloads the response directly into the original Epi Info™ 7 project for analysis.

Web Enter

Web Enter provides a secure mechanism to collect information over the web to support surveillance systems or statewide data collections during outbreaks or emergency response situations. 

Companion For Android

Epi Info™ Companion for Android allows users to transfer forms to a mobile device and collect data remotely. The ability to load Epi Info™ forms onto a mobile device allows users to collect data in places lacking information technology infrastructure and for activities that could benefit from mobility, GPS tacking, or photographic capabilities. Participants will learn how to load Epi Info™ forms onto mobile phones and tablets, collect data, and then import the data into a central database.

EWAV (Epi Info Web Analytics and Visualization)

The Epi Info Web Analytics and Visualization (EWAV) provides public health professionals within a given organization the ability to analyze their organizations databases using a web browser.  An individual with appropriate rights can access data sources within their organization for analysis purposes. Users will be able to interact with variety of gadgets and charts and will have the option to specify additional filtering criteria’s. Users will also be able to use the built in StatCalc tool, a calculator for epidemiologists. All analysis performed can be saved and viewed at a later time.