BACKGROUND: Current approaches for public health case reporting are outdated, inefficient, and discourage information sharing between clinical care and public health. Attempts at information exchange have been fractured across public health’s programmatic and jurisdictional boundaries. The Digital Bridge initiative represents an effort by public health to speak with a unified voice to interact with clinical and health information technology (IT) sectors. Objectives for this presentation include:
- To share challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from public health agencies implementing the Digital Bridge eCR approach.
- To discuss an innovative use case of health care-public health information sharing to improve health outcomes.
METHODS: Electronic case reporting (eCR) was selected as an initial use case for this collaboration. Partners participating in the Digital Bridge initiative are developing a multi-jurisdictional approach to eCR that is system agnostic and adoptable by any organization and data provider. This approach allows for improved data and workflows for both clinical practice and public health. Beginning in the spring of 2017, the Digital Bridge will coordinate eCR implementation at sites across different states and cities. A site includes a public health agency, a health care provider and a data provider/EHR vendor. Sites in California, Houston, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York City and Utah have been selected to implement the Digital Bridge eCR infrastructure through early 2018.
RESULTS: Digital Bridge workgroups developed high-level requirements and a technical roadmap and architecture to support sites during implementation. Initially, sites are supporting five conditions: pertussis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, salmonellosis, and Zika. Expected results through these implementations include a reduced reporting burden, better awareness of emerging threats, and consistent, timely and accurate data used to improve public health.
CONCLUSIONS: This session will address the new Digital Bridge eCR infrastructure, challenges and opportunities faced, and lessons learned. Additional discussion topics may include technical and policy issues related to eCR, public health reporting, and patient privacy. The presentation may also address high-level recommendations on how state and local health departments can build partnerships with health care delivery systems to advance information exchange.