1. It’s NOT Just a One-Way Street: Utilizing the PHINMS to Transfer Hospital ED Syndromic Data Back to Healthcare Facilities
Y. Emily Cheng, MS; Himal Dhotre, MPH; Debjani Das, MPH; Dan Drociuk, MT
Division of Acute Disease Epidemiology (DADE),
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC)
BACKGROUND AND DEFINITIONS
PHINMS: Public Health Information Network (PHIN)1 Messaging System (PHINMS)2, initiated and supported by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
PHINMS contains two components: sender and receiver.
A PHINMS entity (either a hospital or Health Department) can act as both/either a sender and/or a receiver.
PHINMS allows for two-way communication.
RESULTS
South Carolina Developed Programs for PHINMS
Auto Send (to automate sending process)
Data Extract (to extract data for file-based analysis)
Notification (to monitor for missing data)
Self-issued Security Certificates (for PHINMS configuration)
South Carolina Programs Benefits
Two-way communication between hospitals and Public Health
Easily configurable for different hospitals
Good data storage and management
Automated execution and easy monitoring
Logs available for troubleshooting
Easy adoption and customization for other states
Successes Using PHINMS
PHINMS Sender at hospitals – big success
Easy to configure Senders
Multiple streams and routes
Automated process and monitoring
Challenges Using PHINMS
Competing priorities within hospitals
Network/Firewall complications for Receiver
Certificates maintenance issues
PHINMS troubleshooting issues
Figure 1: South Carolina Aberration Alerting Network (SCAAN)
Receiving
Queues
Model 1
Transport
Queues
Notification
(for missing data)
PHINMS
RECEIVER
(V 2.6)
PHINMS
SENDER
(V 2.6)
PHINMS
Outgoing Folder
Model 3
Troubleshoot
Data Extract
(SS-extractDB)
OBJECTIVES
Describe the secure and reliable data transfer of syndromic data between hospitals and public health agencies using PHINMS.
Describe South Carolina's development of customized computer programs including Auto Send, Data Extract, Notification, and Self-Issued Security Certificates.
Auto-Send
(SS-xx-autosend)
sends raw data to DHEC
1. Hospital
2. DHEC
receives and analyzes data
Data Files
For Analysis
Data Feed
Model 5
Data Analysis
Internet
HOSPITAL
SC DHEC
METHODS
South Carolina’s system of syndromic data transfer is shown in Figure 1:
Step (1): A hospital sends data automatically via our Auto Send program that retrieves data from either a local or network drive and generates the necessary information for PHINMS to send to SC DHEC.
Step (2): SC DHEC receives data via PHINMS into a PHINMS database that is extracted by our Data Extract program for data analysis using EARS-SAS3.
Step (3): SC DHEC sends hospital specific data and summary reports back to hospitals automatically via our Auto Send program.
Step (4): A hospital extracts the data by our Data Extract program for their own data analysis or reporting uses.
Our Notification program monitors the current data and sends notifications for missing data.
PHINMS is installed and configured with South Carolina’s self-issued security certificates.
sends summary data and reports
3. DHEC
sends summary data and reports
3. DHEC
SS Output
(Sum Data & Reports)
SS Server
(Data Analysis or
View Reports)
4. Hospital receives data and reports
Model 7
Data Extract
(SS-extractDB)
Auto-Send
(SS-xx-autosend)
Troubleshoot
CONCLUSIONS
The adoption of PHINMS has encountered challenges as well as successes.
Challenges bring opportunities to develop novel methodologies, such as resolving issues with delivering hospital-specific syndromic data back to the hospital through the PHINMS.
PHINMS has shown its potential to be the standard for data transfer of syndromic data.
PHINMS is secure, reliable, cost effective, easily monitored and managed.
The system will be a valuable tool for increasing the state and local hospital’s surveillance systems implementation.
Notification
(for missing data)
PHINMS
SENDER
(V 2.6)
PHINMS
RECEIVER
(V 2.6)
PHINMS
Outgoing Folder
Transport
Queues
Receiving
Queues
Main Steps
Syndromic Data Transfer Diagram
Internal Steps
REFERENCES
[1] The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Public Health Information Network.
[2] The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Public Health Information Network Messaging System.
[3] The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The Early Aberration Reporting System.
Contact Information:
Y. Emily Cheng
SC Dept. of Health and Environmental Control
1751 Calhoun St.
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803)
Fax: (803)