Modernize and Streamline Electronic Disease Surveillance with Casetivity
Public health departments are tasked with monitoring diseases to protect the population, which requires a steady stream of accurate data on the number of infections, symptoms associated with the disease, effective treatments, and other factors that can affect public health policy.
But many departments still rely on antiquated electronic disease surveillance systems that are difficult to operate and expensive to maintain, which can leave valuable data siloed from the larger healthcare system. That’s why SSG created a new type of disease surveillance software known as Casetivity. It features a highly configurable modular design for a fully comprehensive approach to disease surveillance, including seamless data exchange, strong security, and improved case management functionality. The program is designed to help public health departments streamline the data collection and reporting process, resulting in a safer, more interconnected healthcare system.
What is Casetivity?
Casetivity is a fully customizable, modular low-code platform designed by SSG. We have built a disease surveillance system on Casetivity that allows public health departments to automate key aspects of their operations. The system is designed to organize existing data silos into a single database of information that multiple users and stakeholders can then update in real-time and also use for case management. Users can quickly create a configurable end-to-end process based on their department’s existing workflow. The program will then automate this process to free up additional resources.
How Does Casetivity Improve Disease Surveillance?
Public health departments are constantly running up against tight deadlines and budget constraints that limit their ability to comply with the latest reporting requirements. Automating key processes ultimately helps the department save time and money by reducing the amount of work that goes into the reporting process. The departments’ funding is also based on their ability to demonstrate the effectiveness of their operations. By automating key processes, Casetivity gives public health administrators the tools they need to effectively manage their resources and daily activities while simultaneously improving their chances of receiving additional funding in the future.
The program also improves the quality of the data being received by making it easier for stakeholders to share and update information using a centralized platform that’s accessible anywhere in the country. Private healthcare providers and public health officials can quickly share data as it becomes available in real-time. It is compatible with a wide range of public health data types. It can be used to collect virtually any type of information, including case management notes, claims, superspreader events, and contact information, to add context to the report.
The latest disease management data contains sensitive details protected by federal privacy laws. Private healthcare providers and public health departments must ensure this information is kept safe throughout the reporting process by limiting access to confidential details. That’s why SSG created Casetivity with security in mind. Authorization is highly configurable. Administrators can adjust the security protocols assigned to each user based on their role within the organization.
Time is of the essence when responding to a public health emergency, such as the outbreak of a new infectious disease. It is up to local and state public health departments to launch a robust, timely response to keep the public safe and informed. The quality of the response is only as good as the quality of the information the department receives and their ability to follow up through case management activities, like outreach. Lawmakers and public health experts cannot make informed decisions without access to the latest disease data. Improving the data collection and reporting process ultimately makes for shorter response times and more informed policymaking.
FAQs:
Why Do We Use Disease Surveillance Systems?
Disease surveillance systems act as a bridge between private healthcare providers and public health departments, ultimately passing their findings onto federal public health organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC uses its own disease surveillance system known as the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), which helps public health departments comply with the latest reporting requirements to increase stakeholder participation across the country.
During disease surveillance, information about the disease is first collected at the local level. Private healthcare providers will assess patient symptoms, collect information about the circumstances that led to the infection and run tests to confirm the diagnosis. This data is put into an electronic records system that then gets shared with local and state public health departments. These organizations use disease surveillance systems to organize, analyze, and interpret the information they receive from private healthcare providers to get an accurate sense of how the disease is spreading and which groups are most at risk. Politicians and government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels will implement policies designed to keep the public safe from infection.
What is the Best Way to Track Disease?
The best way to track a novel or infectious disease is to use a highly configurable electronic disease surveillance system that lets users automate key processes. Without this technology, the act of collecting and organizing information as it relates to the outbreak can be daunting and time-consuming. The collected information must be easily shareable with authorized individuals while adhering to privacy requirements. These systems must also be scalable to accommodate a sudden increase in data if the outbreak should spread.
Communication between users and stakeholders is also key to the exchange of information. Parties should be able to ask questions and clarify key details during the reporting process, as each provider may have their own way of documenting cases. Since each disease may come with specific reporting requirements depending on how it spreads, users should be able to quickly customize the workflow process and reporting standards as they learn more about the disease and its effects on the local population.
What is the Purpose of Disease Surveillance?
Disease surveillance is the method of collecting, organizing, and interpreting disease-related case management information as it relates to public policy. Policymakers and public health experts use this data to implement policies and recommendations to help keep the public safe from infection. All information related to a specific disease is kept in a centralized database where experts analyze the findings to gain valuable insights into how the disease spreads and how likely it is to affect certain populations. This requires input from private healthcare providers who are tasked with diagnosing and treating patients. Each case or reported infection can contain important clues that can help experts better understand what’s driving the latest trends. This information is ultimately used to save lives and limit the potential suffering caused by the outbreak of new or existing diseases.
Choosing the right disease surveillance platform is the first step toward keeping the public safe. It is designed to help large and small teams make the most of their existing resources, so policymakers can access the latest information when they need it most. Public health departments can modernize their disease surveillance efforts by replacing outdated records systems with Casetivity. Contact SSG to request a free demo today.