BioSense is an enhanced surveillance tool hosted by CDC to allow state and local public health entities access to data for their health jurisdiction that is derived from national sources. Information includes outpatient discharge codes, lab orders, and over-the-counter drug sales. It presents this data summarized by health syndrome and ZipCode, utilizing a variety of data visualization displays and signal detection algorithms. BioSense is available to public health department staff responsible for syndromic surveillance.
The Early Aberration Reporting System (EARS) was designed by CDC to identify unusual patterns in disease surveillance data. It uses statistical methods to detect aberrations in trends and presents the findings visually. Unusual increases are investigated by public health staff to identify and control community-based outbreaks and to respond to emerging disease trends.
ESSENCE is an enhanced surveillance tool for early recognition of disease events, including outbreaks and potential bioterrorism events. It provides graphic and tabular displays of chief complaints from hospital emergency departments, of over-the-counter drug sales, and of sentinel clinical data from selected primary care settings. Aberration detection algorithms identify unusual patterns for epidemiologic review. ESSENCE is available to public health department staff responsible for syndromic surveillance.
NEDSS is a statewide data system used for disease surveillance and investigation. State law requires that specified conditions of public health importance be reported to the health department whenever they are identified or suspected. Public health action prevents further spread of disease. NEDSS captures demographic, diagnostic, epidemiologic, and treatment information on cases of reportable conditions. The system is used for general infectious diseases, vaccine preventable diseases, some zoonotic diseases and for adult toxic substance exposures. Starting in late 2005, it will be used for tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases. NEDSS is only available to public health staff directly involved in disease surveillance, investigation and control.