Utilizing the PHINMS Route-Not-Read to Transfer Hospital ED Syndromic Data Back to Healthcare Facilities

South Carolina Aberration Alerting Network (SCAAN) is a unified syndromic surveillance system for South Carolina that includes data streams from: RODS NRDM data, Poison Control Center data, and hospital ED chief-complaint data.  Specific to hospital surveillance, the SCAAN system is currently setting up PHINMS servers at local hospitals to offer a more secure method of transferring de-identified chief-complaints.

For the SCAAN system, the methodology most feasible in sending data back to hospitals is the PHINMS Route_Not_Read (RnR).  Earlier the PHINMS Direct-Send method was considered, but offered numerous barriers. The benefits of using Route_Not_Read will be discussed.   The details of how we implement this data transfer process within SCAAN will also be outlined.

The SCAAN protocol for sending hospital-specific syndromic data back to the hospitals, via the PHINMS Route_Not_Read route, allows for hospitals participating the option to analyze their own data using the CDC EARS software. This presentation will also highlight the successes and challenges experienced with this process from both State/Local Health department perspective and also the healthcare facility level.

All the processes at the hospitals and SC Department of Health and Environmental Control for the data transfer and analysis can be (or have been) setup to run automatically.  Security certificates are used for authentication and authorization, and to encrypt and decrypt files.