Media Analysis Tool Keeps Client Informed
Using a unique tool developed in-house, ORISE's health communications experts analyze more than 25,000 news articles a year on average for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The media content analysis tool is called INFORM—Immunization News for Managers. ORISE is working to enhance INFORM and broaden its capabilities using a new form of information retrieval called “latent semantic indexing” (LSI). LSI is a text mining algorithm that will allow more complex searching and filtering of information.
Currently, ORISE staff use a Web-enabled database to review news articles and assign topic codes. Analyses of these articles help the CDC to respond quickly to questions and issues from media reports and identify long-term trends.
Current analyses focus on disease and vaccination issues for influenza, including pandemic flu and avian flu.