Rapid Response to a Conjunctivitis Outbreak: The Use of Technology to Leverage Information |
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| Authors: | Michael T Martin MD Cynthia G Whitney MD MPH John H Turco MD Yolanda Y Baumgartner MBA Michael E Zegans MD |
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| Institution: | 1. Community Medicine Department of West Virginia University , USA;2. Department of Medicine , School of Medicine at WVU;3. University Health Service , USA;4. Department of Family Medicine , WVU School of Medicine;5. University Health Service;6. Ridge Facility Surveillance Section in Cincinnati , Ohio, USA;7. Appalachian Laboratory for Occupational Safety and Health in Morgantown , West Virginia, USA |
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| Abstract: | Abstract When an outbreak of conjunctivitis was identified at a rural New England college early in 2002, the college health center medical staff used various information management and communication systems to alert the community to the situation. They called upon the state Department of Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help them understand and manage the outbreak. Technological systems already in place at the college allowed for rapid collection of data by means of a survey delivered over the Internet and a carriage study facilitated by a Web-based appointment and communication system. Within days, the data were collected and analyzed and an immediate response to contain the outbreak was launched. |
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| Keywords: | conjunctivitis health administration Internet communication Web surveys |
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