[medinformatics] Westchester County Hospitals Onboard with Early Warning System

[Medical Informatics News]

Currently, on a daily basis, the medical records of everyone who has visited an emergency
room in Westchester County, New York*during the previous 24 hours are entered into a central
computer.**The records, with names deleted to protect privacy, are then electronically sorted according to
symptoms and the computer scours them to detect any increases or clusters of presenting symptoms. Once or twice a
week, the computer detects an anomaly.

According to the Journal News,* the Community Health Electronic Surveillance System, or CHESS, went
online in January 2003, prompted by the 9-11 disaster, but it was not until the past few weeks that all 12
Westchester hospitals with emergency rooms came on board.



http://medicalinformatics.weblogsinc...4000820026325/