DIMACS Working Group on BioSurveillance Data Monitoring and Information Exchange

February 22 - 24, 2006
DIMACS Center, CoRE Building, Rutgers University

Organizers:

David Madigan, Rutgers, Statistics, madigan@stat.rutgers.edu

Colleen Martin, CDC auq4@cdc.gov

Henry Rolka, (CDC), hrr2@cdc.gov

Workshop Program:

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

 8:00 -  8:45  Breakfast and registration

 8:45 -  9:30  Welcome and opening remarks
               Blake Caldwell and Henry Rolka, Centers for Disease Control and
               Prevention

 9:30 - 11:00  Analytics presentations
               Moderator: Gabriel Rainisch, Northrop Grumman

               Galit Shmueli, University of Maryland
               Fundamentals of Statistical Monitoring: The Good, Bad, and Ugly
                 in Biosurveillance

               Howard Burkom, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
               Practical Aspects of Statistical Alerting Algorithms

               Weng-Keen Wong, Oregon State
               An Introduction to Bayesian Networks

11:00 - 11:15  Break

11:15 - 12:00  Describe breakout session topics and group assignments
               Henry Rolka, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

12:00 -  1:00  Lunch

 1:00 -  3:00  Breakout sessions

               Break into several groups. Each group has a moderator and will
               address a particular topic area and record salient points.

Topics:  

1. Detection and Analysis
What detection and analysis methods are available and how are they similar or
different? What types of events might they detect and why? What do monitors
need to maintain a working knowledge about statistical algorithms? What
epidemiologic analyses can or should follow the initial statistically
significant anomaly notification? What is the appropriate geographic unit of
analysis?

2. System Visualizations and Functionalities
What system visualizations, functionalities, and tools are most useful in
monitoring and analyzing biosurveillance data? What needs are systems
currently meeting/not meeting? What improvements can be made to improve
utility?

3. Monitoring and Anomaly Characterization
What are the protocols for monitoring biosurveillance data? What information
is necessary to characterize anomalies and what specific aspects indicate an
anomaly is of potential importance? What information is needed beyond what
the system can provide, and how can this information be obtained?  

4. Follow-Up, Reporting, and Communication Protocols
When it is determined that an escalation or follow up investigation is
appropriate, what are the appropriate protocols? What information is needed
for escalation reporting? What information and in what format should reports
include? 

5. Consolidating Information
How do we address/resolve the use of multiple systems? How do we consolidate
information, coordinate, and communicate across jurisdictions, systems, and
analytical results?

6. Situational Awareness
How do we define situational awareness? How can biosurveillance systems meet
the need for situational awareness (in addition to early detection of events?)
What types of scenarios would require situational awareness, and what data
analyses, system functionalities, and data visualizations would provide the
needed information?

 3:00 -  3:30  Break

 3:30 -  5:00  Biosurveillance system implementations
               Moderator: David Walker, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

               Loren Shaffer, Ohio Department of Health
               Staffing RODS in Ohio

               Fermin Leguen, Miami Dade County Health Department
               Implementing a Syndromic Surveillance System in Miami-Dade

               Erin Murray and Karl Soetebier, Georgia Division of Public Health
               Syndromic Surveillance in Georgia: A Grassroots Approach


 5:00 -  6:30  Evening wine and cheese reception

Thursday, February 23, 2006

 8:00 -  9:00  Breakfast

 9:00 - 10:30  Experiences and lessons learned
               Moderator: Colleen Martin, Science Applications International Corporation

               Marc Paladini, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
               From Data to Signals to Screenshots: Recent Developments in NYCDOHMH
                 Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance 

               Dan Drociuk, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
               Experiences in the Use of Non-Traditional Data Sources in a Rural
                 State - South Carolina

               Teresa Hamby, New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services
               BioSense Experiences and Protocol Development

10:30 - 10:45  Break

10:45 - 12:00  Special topic presentations
               Moderator: Henry Rolka, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

               Jeffrey Johnson, San Diego County Human Services Agency
               To Ignore or Not to Ignore - Follow-up to Statistically Significant Signals

               Blake Caldwell, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
               BioSense Real Time Hospital Data Initiative Update

               Deeanna Burleson, Department of Homeland Security
               National Biosurveillance Integration System Overview


12:00 -  1:00  Lunch

 1:00 -  2:30  Breakout discussion and consolidation

               Breakout groups re-convene, continue discussion, and 
               consolidate information for purposes of presenting to the larger group.        

 2:30 -  3:00  Break

 3:00 -  5:00  Breakout presentations
               Moderators: Ron McGaugh, Constella and Jerome Tokars, Centers for Disease
                 Control and Prevention

               Moderators present the discussion and conclusions from breakout 
               sessions to the larger group.

Friday, February 24, 2006

 8:00 -  9:00  Breakfast

 9:00 - 10:00  Charter Discussion
               Moderator: Colleen Martin, Science Applications International Corporation
 
               Discuss and formulate a charter for the BioSurveillance 
               Information Exchange Monitors Working Group.

10:00 - 10:30  Break

10:30 - 11:30  Goals and Future Directions 
               Moderator: Colleen Martin, Science Applications International Corporation

               Determine group goals, future directions, topics of interest, and
                 overall direction.

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