1. The Role of Information Technology In Improving Syndromic Surveillance and Decision Making Michael Shannon, M.D., M.P.H. The Center for Biopreparedness Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School Boston, MA

2. What is Syndromic Surveillance? Syndromic surveillance is the term for the active monitoring of a disease cluster. Syndromic surveillance is the term for the active monitoring of a disease cluster.

3. Information Technology’s Role in Improving Syndromic Surveillance Information technology offers several valuable features for syndromic surveillance: Electronic nature Ability to conduct real-time surveillance Value of its monitoring data that are routinely collected in daily social activities

4. Key Steps in Developing Bioterrorism- Based Automated Decision Support Systems Compilation of signs/symptoms of the disease of interest Compilation of signs/symptoms of the disease of interest Delphi group evaluation of signs/ symptoms, temporal features and differential diagnosis Delphi group evaluation of signs/ symptoms, temporal features and differential diagnosis Construction of prior probabilities algorithms (back end) Construction of prior probabilities algorithms (back end) Output = differential diagnosis along with probabilities Output = differential diagnosis along with probabilities

5. Information Systems Created or Under Development by the Center for Biopreparedness at CHB Syndromic Surveillance Syndromic Surveillance EDScopeEDScope AEGISAEGIS Boston data linkage projectBoston data linkage project PECARN data linkage projectPECARN data linkage project School monitoring projectSchool monitoring project Automated Decision Support Automated Decision Support The Bioagent Diagnosis ProgramThe Bioagent Diagnosis Program

7. The Bioagent Diagnosis Program

9. Specific Issues in Pediatric Preparedness School preparedness School preparedness Surge capacity Surge capacity Training of 1 st responders in management of pediatric disaster victims Training of 1 st responders in management of pediatric disaster victims Creation of national pediatric disaster response teams Creation of national pediatric disaster response teams Creation of assessment/management tools for mental health sequelae Creation of assessment/management tools for mental health sequelae