Harnessing Syndromic Surveillance Emergency Department Data to Monitor Health Impacts During the 2015 Special Olympics World Games.

Harnessing Syndromic Surveillance Emergency Department Data to Monitor Health Impacts During the 2015 Special Olympics World Games. Public Health Rep. 2017 Jul/Aug;132(1_suppl):99S-105S Authors: Kajita E, Luarca MZ, Wu H, Hwang B, Mascola L Abstract INTRODUCTION: Mass gatherings that attract a large international presence may cause or amplify point-source outbreaks of emerging infectious disease. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health customized its syndromic surveillance system to detect increased syndrome-specific utilization of emergency departments (EDs) and other medical encounters coincident to the 2015 Special Olympics World Games. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We queried live databases containing data on ED visits, California Poison Control System calls, and Los Angeles County coroner-investigated deaths for increases in daily counts from July 19 to August 6, 2015. We chose syndrome categories based on the potential for disease outbreaks common to international travel and dormitory settings, morbidity amplified by high temperatures, and bioterrorism threats inherent to mass gatherings. We performed line-list reviews and trend analyses of total, syndrome-specific, and region-specific daily counts, using cumulative sum-based signals. We also piloted a novel strategy of requesting that ED registrars proactively tag Special Olympics attendees in chief complaint data fields. RESULTS: The syndromic surveillance...
Source: Public Health Reports - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Tags: Public Health Rep Source Type: research