Published on in Vol 5, No 1 (2013):

Evaluation of Electronic Ambulatory Care Data for Use in the Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet)

Evaluation of Electronic Ambulatory Care Data for Use in the Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet)

Evaluation of Electronic Ambulatory Care Data for Use in the Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet)

Authors of this article:

Kathleen Stigi1 ;   Atar Baer2 ;   Kathy Lofy1
The full text of this article is available as a PDF download by clicking here.

Washington State Department of Health and Public Health Seattle King County sought to evaluate the utility of electronic ambulatory data for monitoring influenza-like illness (ILI). A definition of ILI that was previously validated using emergency department data was applied to ambulatory care records. During August 2007 through August 2012, the proportion of ILI visits strongly correlated with the number and percentage of positive influenza tests reported by the network laboratory. The results will aid in formulating guidance for ambulatory care providers who wish to utilize electronic medical record systems for weekly ILINet reporting.