GE Healthcare Selected by CDC to Provide Real-Time Influenza Surveillance Data

Strategic Insights -

GE Healthcare has been chosen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to supply extensive surveillance data for H1N1 and seasonal influenza activity across the United States. Every 24 hours, GE Healthcare reports information gathered from its nationwide electronic database of nearly 14 million patient records to help the CDC monitor the spread of the H1N1 virus in near real-time.

The data is collected from the Medical Quality Improvement Consortium (MQIC), a HIPAA-compliant repository designed to house anonymous clinical data and best practices. Participating physicians automatically contribute de-identified data to MQIC each day through normal use of GE's Centricity Electronic Medical Record (EMR) when they document information collected during patient visits to physician offices and clinics. The MQIC database is growing at a rate of nearly 30 percent each year and has been validated as representative of demographic and co-morbidity averages in the U.S. population.

"We are pleased to help the CDC monitor this important public health issue," said GE Healthcare IT Vice President and General Manager Jim Corrigan. "This is a strong example of the power of digitizing the nation's medical records. With EMR data, not only are we able to accelerate the reporting of any aggregate changes to the health of the U.S. population, we're able to provide valuable and timely clinical data to health professionals."

Key Takeaways:

  • GE Healthcare has been selected by the CDC to provide real-time influenza surveillance data for H1N1 and seasonal influenza activity across the United States.
  • The data is collected from the Medical Quality Improvement Consortium (MQIC), a HIPAA-compliant repository designed to house anonymous clinical data and best practices.
  • Participating physicians automatically contribute de-identified data to MQIC each day through normal use of GE's Centricity Electronic Medical Record (EMR).
  • The MQIC database has been validated as representative of demographic and co-morbidity averages in the U.S. population.
  • The database is growing at a rate of nearly 30 percent each year.
  • GE Healthcare reports information gathered from its nationwide electronic database of nearly 14 million patient records to help the CDC monitor the spread of the H1N1 virus in near real-time.
  • The data helps the CDC better understand the characteristics of H1N1 outbreaks and determine who is at most risk for developing complications from the virus.
  • Traditionally, this data is collected using insurance claims data, a process with a significant lag time.
  • "Using MQIC, the GE Centricity EMR's H1N1 surveillance reports communicate clinical findings at an early point of detection as many patients with milder flu symptoms will visit their primary care provider, instead of a hospital," said Dr. Peter Basch, Internist with MedStar Health, Washington, DC and program participant.

Statistics:

  • 14 million: The number of patient records in GE Healthcare's nationwide electronic database.
  • 30%: The rate at which the MQIC database is growing each year.
  • 24 hours: The frequency at which GE Healthcare reports information to the CDC.
  • 46,000: The number of people employed by GE Healthcare worldwide.
  • $17 billion: The value of GE Healthcare's annual revenue.

Sources:

  • GE Healthcare
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • GE Healthcare
  • "Use of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Data in Outcomes Research" by D. Brixner (2007, International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research 10th Annual European Congress, Dublin, Ireland)
  • "healthymagination" vision for the future
  • GE Healthcare official website (www.gehealthcare.com)