In 2000, San Diego launched the Emergency Medical Alert Network (EMAN) to assist in bioterrorism preparedness. EMAN is a new and innovative public health and medical bi-directional communications and surveillance platform consisting of an electronic alert system, web site, mass paging and fax system, and an electronic epidemiological tool kit. One key component of EMAN is early detection of unusual disease occurrence through the Enhanced Health Surveillance System (EHSS). This system was established to systematically monitor a variety of traditional and non-traditional health data sources that may indicate a bioterrorism event or compromise of health care resources. The EHSS seeks to reduce morbidity and mortality by shortening the interval between public exposure to a pathogen and public health response through early detection. Data sources include: notifiable disease surveillance, Emergency Medical Services, school absenteeism, laboratory, medical examiner, environmental health, pharmacy, vector, animal and agriculture. The EHSS is also a multi-disciplinary network of people in various sentinel sites connected to the EMAN system contributing information into EHSS. Using a combination of data sources, network of people and epidemiological tools, EMAN was designed to permit mobile readiness should personnel, technology or structures become non-functional. Several health situations have already provided the opportunity to test EMAN and the EHSS. While these tools were designed to detect and respond to acts of bioterrorism, they have proven to be invaluable tools to be used within the established disease surveillance system for detection of naturally occurring outbreaks.
See www.co.san-diego.ca.us/eman
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to: 1. Describe the role of the Enhanced Health Surveillance System (EHSS) in relation to the Emergency Medical Alert Network (EMAN). 2. List the major components of the EHSS. 3. Describe how the results of the EHSS will be used.
Keywords: Surveillance, Bioterrorism
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.