Connecticut State Department of Public Health

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Infectious Disease Section - Informatics Program

 

The Infectious Disease (ID) Section Informatics Program was established in 2017 and supplies support for the systems, processes and data needed for disease surveillance, case and outbreak management, and electronic data exchange. By establishing the ID Informatics Program, DPH joins an increasing number of state public health agencies supporting defined informatics programs.

ID Informatics Program staff work closely with DPH Information Technology (IT) Section, other DPH programs, the State Public Health Laboratory, local health departments, other states' public health agencies, and national partners such as the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE). Staff support the following systems and activities:

  1. Connecticut Electronic Disease Surveillance System (CTEDSS) is the primary surveillance and case management system for reportable diseases, emergency illnesses, and health conditions, and other non-disease activities. CTEDSS is built on the Conduent, Inc. Maven application, and is configurable by ID Informatics Program staff. 

  2. Electronic Data Exchange (EDX) platform is built on the state enterprise licensed Pilotfish Technologies integration console and engine. Using the PHINMS secure messaging solution, the EDX platform supports two core data exchange activities.  
  1. Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR), is the transition from paper-based reporting of laboratory results of significant findings, to use of a standards-based HL7 ELR message. ID Informatics Program staff continue to work with all Connecticut acute care hospital laboratories, the State Public Health Laboratory, and several commercial laboratories to establish ELR.

     

  2. The National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) Modernization Initiative (NMI) supports the transition to HL7 messages for electronic reporting of nationally notifiable condition data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ID Informatics Program staff are working with DPH program staff and the CDC to make this transition over the next few years.

 The ongoing work of ID Informatics Program improves public health reporting and surveillance. Data collected are used to monitor diseases, identify disease trends and outbreaks, and guide public health policy decisions. The outcome is improved public health prevention, preparedness, and health promotion of the residents of the State of Connecticut as well as contributing to the national picture of public health.

 

 

Page last updated 7/18/2019.