Surescripts teamed up with the CDC, the Association of Public Health Laboratories and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists on a clinical direct messaging service that supports COVID-19 electronic case reporting to public health surveillance systems.
Four things to know:
1. The CDC, APHL and CSTE each lead, implement and operate the clinical direct messaging service with healthcare organizations, EHR vendors and public health agencies.
2. Surescripts' clinical direct messaging service helps support fast and secure electronic transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious disease cases to public health agencies. The tech integrates with EHR and pharmacy software, allowing clinicians, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to connect and review cases.
3. As of June 29, 21 healthcare organizations are using Surescripts' service, and more than 715,000 reportable electronic initial case reports have been delivered to 43 jurisdictions, according to the July 14 news release.
4. Eighteen more healthcare organizations are in the process of implementing Surescripts' tech and 54 of 58 public health jurisdictions are connected to the APHL for electronic case reporting.
"With the proliferation of outbreaks and the need for fast access to patient health data, bridging the electronic exchange of information between public health and healthcare is essential," Laura Conn, electronic case reporting lead for the CDC, said in the news release. "[Electronic case reporting] provides fast, accurate and reliable data for action.”