| • |
How
will implementing NEDSS improve the public's health? |
| • |
What
kinds of changes can we anticipate in our disease control programs
as a result of implementing NEDSS? |
| • |
Questions
about the NEDSS Base System. |
| • |
Questions
about replacement of conventional categorical systems. |
| • |
Will
changing over to the NEDSS Base System or NEDSS compliant system
be a condition of ELC or Emerging Infections Cooperative Agreement
funding? |
| • |
Does
CDC intend for there to be data repositories serving several,
many, or all states, where data from clinical laboratories will
be processed and passed on to the states? |
| • |
If
a state IT office doesn't buy into the NEDSS architecture, can
CDC provide technical assistance to work with state IT staff? |
| • |
How
will use of and access to the newly uniform NEDSS data passed
by the states to CDC be regulated? |
| • |
How
do the HIPAA privacy regulations constrain what NEDSS can do,
if at all? |
| • |
Will
states report personal identifiers to CDC by using the new NEDSS
base system? |
| • |
What
are all these data types in the NEDSS Public Health Conceptual
Data Model document that are neither case reports nor lab tests? |
| • |
How
and when are states going to build surveillance systems for
injury, chronic disease, asthma, birth defects, cancer, etc.,
using NEDSS? |
| • |
Is
the laboratory reporting initiative of NAACR in collaboration
with NPCR consistent with NEDSS? |
| • |
Does
NEDSS require states to combine all their surveillance records
from different programs? |
| • |
What
is the Base System? |
| • |
What
is the Base System vision? |
| • |
What
will the Base System do? |
| • |
What
are modules? |
| • |
What
are the technical components of the Base System architecture? |
| • |
When
will the NEDSS Base System be fielded? |
| • |
Will
there be a new version of disease specific data systems such
as HARS, TIMS and STDMIS? |
| • |
When
will new versions of disease specific data systems such as HARS,
TIMS and STDMIS be available? |
| • |
Will
states be required to use the disease specific data systems
such as HARS, TIMS and STDMIS as a condition of grant support? |
| • |
How
long will the existing programs be supported by CDC? |
| • |
When
will the CDC-supplied software to replace the Epi-Info-based
NETSS software be available? |
| • |
Will
states be required to change over to the NEDSS Base System? |
| • |
How
long will the old software be supported? |
| |
|
| • |
How
will implementing NEDSS improve the public's health?
NEDSS compliant systems will provide more timely
and accurate information for faster and better decision making
and more rapid recognition of public health threats.
|
| • |
What
kinds of changes can we anticipate in our disease control programs
as a result of implementing NEDSS?
NEDSS compliant systems will allow for the integration
of information systems for better analysis and for sharing of
information, establish an electronic interface with laboratories
and clinical care systems for more complete reports with less
burden on data providers and initiate a standard architecture
for surveillance that can be used for more than infectious diseases.
|
| • |
What
is the Base System?
The Base System is a platform to support state
notifiable disease surveillance and analysis activities, the
successor of NETSS and a modular system. It is modular in the
sense that states may choose to use all or part of the Base
System. |
| • |
What
is the Base System vision?
For those states that choose to use a CDC-developed
option, the NEDSS Base System is a platform upon which many
public health surveillance systems, processes, and data can
be integrated in a secure environment. |
| • |
What will the Base System do?
The
Base System will: 1) support
state and local surveillance activities, such as data entry
of core demographic (CDM) and notifiable disease (NNDM) data
via Web-based modules; 2) provide
seamless view and management of cross program data to authorized
users via selected program area modules (PAMs); PAMs will also
integrate program area data with demographic and notifiable
disease data; 3) Support the storage and maintenance of data
in an integrated database at the state level; 4) Provide access
to specific commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products to support
data analysis and visualization activities related to NEDSS
and electronic exchange of laboratory, clinical, and epidemiologic
data between the state and other providers/laboratories (dependent
on licensing agreements); the NEDSS Base System will provide
access to licenses to specific products or states may choose
to license an option widely used in their states. |
| • |
What
are modules?
NEDSS software modules are individually packaged
functional units that work together as an integrated package.
Some
NEDSS modules have been classified as core, such as Core Demographic
modules and Nationally Notifiable Disease Modules. Core modules
handle information that is important and common to all programs.
PAMs support the collection and management of information relevant
to a particular disease program. For example, specific questions
related to Hepatitis would be managed in the Hepatitis program
area module |
| • |
What
are the technical components of the Base System architecture?
The technical components of the Base System
architecture are: 1) Web-based modules, and screens for data
entry and management of demographic and notifiable disease data;
2) Web
application server (SilverStream) to support the functionality
of the Web-based modules; 3) Integrated data repository to support
management and storage of data across programs (database management
system supplied by the state); 4) Messaging software tool (E-Link
executable) to support messaging and electronic data interchange
between states and the CDC; can support transmission of lab
results from multi-jurisdictional labs to state health department;
5) Security using existing state infrastructure or a CDC provided
intranet-oriented authentication and authorization system |
| • |
When
will it be fielded?
The Base System will be available for pilot
testing in February 2002; several months after the pilot test
a wider beta release will be available. |
| • |
Will
there be a new version of disease specific data systems such
as HARS, TIMS and STDMIS?
There will be new versions of these programs
and they will be NEDSS compliant |
| • |
When
will new versions of disease specific data systems such as HARS,
TIMS and STDMIS be available?
The release of any new version of these
programs will in mid-2002. |
| • |
Will
states be required to use the disease specific data systems
such as HARS, TIMS and STDMIS as a condition of grant support?
States will not be required to use these programs as a condition
of grant support, however data must be transmitted in a standardized
format. |
| • |
How
long will the existing programs be supported by CDC?
The CDC will support the existing programs for
at least another year since the new versions won=t be ready
before then. |
| • |
When
will the CDC-supplied software to replace the Epi-Info-based
NETSS software be available?
The NEDSS will be ready for pilot testing in
early 2002. After testing has been completed, it is estimated
that a production version will be available in 2002. |
| • |
Will
states be required to change over to the NEDSS Base System?
As far as we know, all states are planning to
use a NEDSS compliant system. |
| • |
How
long will the old software be supported?
The
old software will be supported for at least another year since
the new system won=t be ready in all locations before then.
|
| • |
Will
changing over to the NEDSS Base System or NEDSS compliant system
be a condition of ELC or Emerging Infections Cooperative Agreement
funding?
Yes, changing to a NEDSS compliant system will
be required for future CDC-funded surveillance activities.
|
| • |
Does
CDC intend for there to be data repositories serving several,
many, or all states, where data from clinical laboratories will
be processed and passed on to the states?
CDC is working to establish an infrastructure
for electronic laboratory reporting. The project is still under
development. Under this infrastructure, CDC will route lab results
from national labs to participating states. CDC is providing
this routing service because standards for point to point messaging
through HL7 are not available universally. State programs will
receive from CDC a standardized data translator that will read
the HL7 files and transfer the records into their state integrated
data repositories. The process will be fully automated. Messages
will not be stored on the CDC router. In addition, these messages
will be encrypted during the transmission. Participation in
this system will be voluntary: each state will indicate which
programs can be included, and where the electronic reports will
be sent. |
| • |
If
a state IT office doesn't buy into the NEDSS architecture, can
CDC provide technical assistance to work with state IT staff?
As far as we know, all states are planning to
use a NEDSS compliant system. Furthermore, our work with state
health departments and chief technical officers has indicated
support for the NEDSS effort. |
| • |
How
will use of and access to the newly uniform NEDSS data passed
by the states to CDC be regulated?
The NEDSS architecture provides states the ability
to integrate efficiently and standardize the information contained
in their multiple surveillance systems. It also allows states
to transfer to CDC information they are willing and legally
allowed to share. CDC will continue current data security policies,
and refine these as necessary. |
| • |
Will
states report personal identifiers to CDC by using the new NEDSS
base system?
There is no plan to include personal identifiers
in routine transmissions of surveillance records to CDC.
|
| • |
What
are the data types in the NEDSS Public Health Conceptual Data
Model document that are neither case reports nor lab tests?
These data types are necessary to allow for
an integrated, patient-centered system at the states. State
activities include more than just infectious disease surveillance.
|
| • |
How
do the HIPAA privacy regulations constrain what NEDSS can do,
if at all?
The HIPAA privacy regulation permits access
to individually, identifiable health information for appropriate
public health uses without further individual consent. NEDSS
includes standards for security and encryption of these data
that are HIPAA compliant. In addition, at the CDC level, NEDSS
data will not include personal identifiers, and HIPAA compliant
security standards will be maintained. |
| • |
How
and when are states going to build surveillance systems for
injury, chronic disease, asthma, birth defects, cancer, etc.,
using NEDSS?
NEDSS infrastructure and standards are supportive
of surveillance outside of infectious diseases. When this NEDSS
infrastructure is established in the different states, we anticipate
this NEDSS compliant systems infrastructure will support other
areas of public health. |
| • |
Is
the laboratory reporting initiative of NAACR in collaboration
with NPCR consistent with NEDSS?
Yes. CDC and our partners are working with NAACR
to ensure that a uniform guide for messaging, consistent with
NEDSS, is developed. |
| • |
Does
NEDSS require states to combine all their surveillance records
from different programs?
No, NEDSS encourages, but does not require,
states to integrate as many information systems as they deem
appropriate. |
