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RiskScape: A Data Visualization and Aggregation Platform for Public Health Surveillance Using Routine Electronic
Noelle M Cocoros1, Chaim Kirby1, Bob Zambarano1
1Noelle M. Cocoros, Aileen Ochoa, John T. Menchaca, and Michael Klompas are with the Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA. Chaim Kirby, Bob Zambarano, Karen Eberhardt, and Catherine Rocchio are with Commonwealth Informatics, Waltham, MA. W. Sanouri Ursprung, Victoria M. Nielsen, and Natalie Nguyen Durham are with Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston. Mark Josephson, Diana Erani, and Ellen Hafer are with Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Boston. Michelle Weiss and Brian Herrick are with Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA. Myfanwy Callahan and Thomas Isaac are with Atrius Health, Boston.
RiskScape is a user-friendly platform for analyzing electronic health record data for public health surveillance. It visualizes near-real-time disease trends, aiding health departments in monitoring and addressing population health needs.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Informatics
- Data Visualization
Background:
- Electronic health record (EHR) data analysis offers complementary public health surveillance capabilities.
- Existing methods require optimization for the detail, flexibility, and timeliness of EHR data.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce RiskScape, an open-source platform for public health surveillance using EHR data.
- Demonstrate RiskScape's utility in aggregating, visualizing, and analyzing health data for public health initiatives.
Main Methods:
- Developed RiskScape as an interactive, Web-based data aggregation and visualization platform.
- Integrated near-real-time EHR data for monitoring chronic and infectious diseases.
- Enabled data presentations including heat maps, time series, and care cascades.
Main Results:
- RiskScape facilitates near-real-time surveillance data display for clinical practices and health departments.
- The platform supports analysis, mapping, and trending of aggregate data on various conditions.
- Flexibility allows rapid incorporation of new conditions, such as COVID-19.
Conclusions:
- RiskScape enhances public health surveillance by providing accessible and dynamic EHR data insights.
- The Massachusetts Department of Public Health utilizes RiskScape for funding applications and identifying health disparities.
- The platform aids in demonstrating disease burden and the need for public health interventions.
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