Infrastructure Enhancement and Data Linkage Demonstration Project
| Grantee: | Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services |
|---|---|
| Contact: | Roger Gibson, MPH |
| Telephone: | 573-751-9071 |
| Fax: | 573-751-6417 |
| E-mail: | gibsor@dhss.mo.gov |
| Address: | Section for Environmental Public Health MO Department of Health and Senior Services P.O. Box 570 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0570 |
| Web site: |
http://www.dhss.state.mo.us/EPHT/ [external link] |
| Funded Since: | September 30, 2002 |
| Funded Program: | National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, Part B |
Program Description:
Missouri proposes to initiate electronic reporting of laboratory results for blood lead levels, document environmental assessments and abatement activities, and create linkages with Department of Natural Resources lead smelter and mining site databases and with other surveillance databases.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Office of Information Systems (OIS) is developing the Missouri Health Strategic Architectures and Information Cooperative (MOHSAIC), which is DHSS’ effort to create one integrated public health information system to document and address information of interest to public health in Missouri. The surveillance component of MOHSAIC is the Missouri Health Surveillance Information System (MOHSIS). MOHSIS is a transactional application that provides a centralized and integrated database for the entry, update, and retrieval of surveillance information about reportable conditions required under 19 CSR 20-20.020 or of interest to public health. This centralization and integration provides a flexible system capable of modification for changes to case definitions, reportable diseases, local public health agency needs, and other significant issues of public health concern.
The Systematic Tracking of Elevated Lead Levels and Remediation (STELLAR) application is now used by DHSS and a few local public health agencies to document lead-screening activities. These stand-alone systems require redundant data entry of client information and do not reflect statewide lead surveillance activities or status. Although a few laboratories report electronic blood lead level results to DHSS, these results must be manually keyed into STELLAR. DHSS is working to migrate all data from STELLAR into MOHSAIC, including screening data, case management activities, and electronic laboratory reporting.
DHSS will use funds from this project to initiate electronic reporting and posting of laboratory results for blood lead levels, develop and implement electronic notification of system users of posted results for their clients, document environmental assessments, document lead abatement activities, and create electronic linkages to Department of Natural Resource’s (DNR) lead smelters and lead mining sites databases. Part of the project involves capturing detailed data on the assessment of the environment and abatement activities. Once completed, this infrastructure will allow the linkage of other stand-alone surveillance databases with MOHSAIC. These include information about other heavy metals, private drinking-water well results, and other required environmental conditions, cancer and birth defects registries and asthma.
DHSS will use information obtained from stakeholders and consortium meetings, community environmental public health assessments, and needs assessments associated with a CDC biomonitoring grant to determine an additional data integration project to conduct during the project period. This will be conducted after the lead integration project is completed and evaluated.
DHSS also proposes to collaborate on standardization needs with other Environmental Public Health Tracking Network partners, and to collaborate with the Centers of Excellence for Environmental in Public Health Tracking on epidemiology studies.
