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Background: Since 1991, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have funded Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Programs (PHBPP) in all states. The mission of the program is to ensure all infants born to hepatitis B infected (HBsAg-positive) women are given the opportunity to live free from hepatitis B disease. This program utilizes a case management process to follow infected pregnant woman, her infant, and her sexual and household contacts. The case management process continues until an exposed infant completes a multi-dose hepatitis B vaccine series and post vaccination serology (PVS).
Setting: The state of Georgia.
Population: All identified hepatitis B infected pregnant women in Georgia; cases have ranged from 300 to 500 per year.
Project Description: The Georgia Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program employs a web-based case management system that interoperates between systems incorporating data from electronic laboratory reports (ELR) and case reports via the State Electronic Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (SENDSS), electronic birth certificate (EBC) data from its Vital Events Information System (VEIS), and immunization records from the Georgia Registry of Immunization Transactions and Services (GRITS). All reported HBsAg-positive women identified in SENDSS trigger a watch record that the system regularly compares to EBC data from VEIS to identify exposed infants. Tracking records routinely monitor the vaccination status as recorded in GRITS. These data come together in a web interface, providing case managers with essential information exchange between systems and a locus to capture the follow-up activities associated with the surveillance.
Results/Lessons Learned: This collaborative system channels data into one location, reducing the time required for tracking cases. It enables review of real-time data from multiple locations and reduces time spent locating and entering data. The new system facilitates a more thorough, automated and efficient case management, allowing case managers more time for client and provider education activities.