Real-time surveillance for chronic conditions in Massachusetts using EHR data

Introduction Public health agencies and researchers have traditionally relied on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and similar tools for surveillance of non-reportable conditions. These tools are valuable but the data are delayed by more than a year, limited in scope, and based only on participant self-report. These characteristics limit the utility of traditional surveillance systems for program monitoring and impact assessments. Automated surveillance using electronic health record (EHR) data has the potential to increase the efficiency, breadth, accuracy, and timeliness of surveillance. We sought to assess the feasibility and utility of public health surveillance for chronic diseases using EHR data using MDPHnet. MDPHnet is a distributed data network that allows the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to query participating practices’ EHR data for the purposes of public health surveillance (www.esphealth.org). Practices retain the ability to approve queries on a case-by-case basis and the network is updated daily.