Disease Surveillance
HHS doesn't have plan for IT pandemic surveillance, GAO says
A 2006 law requires the Health and Human Services Department to produce a strategic plan for monitoring public health electronically in near-real time, but the department hasn't done so, according to GAO.
CDC starts online surveillance of blood transfusion events
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is collecting data about the after effects of blood transfusions as part of a new application of its Internet-based National Healthcare Safety Network.
National Cancer Institute seeks tools for electronic data management
The National Cancer Institute expects to issue a request for proposals next month to identify a contractor that can expand use of electronic data.
DHS biosurveillance center not getting enough data, GAO says
The DHS National Biosurveillance Integration Center is relying on Internet data at the moment because it has not been able to establish partnerships with federal agencies to get federal data, the GAO said in a new report.
FDA readies new data systems for drug safety
The Food and Drug Administration will expand its tracking of drug safety once the drugs enter the marketplace, according to a new report.
The news of 2009: From buzz to bust
Some stories christened by the Buzz of Week in 2009 have proven less buzz-worthy than others.
Disease surveillance through a murky crystal ball
Critics say too many systems are collecting data on disease outbreaks with little coordination among them.
CDC expands flu-tracking efforts
The H1N1 swine flu virus has created an urgent need for public health authorities to track where and how quickly the illness is spreading.
New IT tools to track swine flu
Just in time for flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have begun using new tools to track seasonal and H1N1 flu and educate the public about treatment.
Health IT vendor sets up CDC with free flu tracking network
Health IT vendor Cerner Corp. has set up a national flu tracking network in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control.
FDA plans electronic filing for some safety reports
Proposed rules announced today would require that all mandatory post market reporting of adverse effects for drugs and medical devices be filed electronically, either through a gateway, a Web portal under development, or on disk or tape.
CIO: CDC preparing for contract worth up to $2 billion
The CDC's CIO outlines plans for the agency's largest IT contract, which is also the first Multiple Award Contract.
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Health IT 'meaningful use' framework proposed
The federal Health IT Policy Committee today began considering a detailed framework for defining "meaningful use" of health IT through 2015.
Health IT needs more functionality, CIO says
Theresa Cullen, CIO of the Indian Health Service, said health IT leaders should create more functionality in their systems, including the ability to track diseases without current lag times.
Committee studies public health, research
The federal advisory group on health information technology considers adding public health and research data needs to its requirements for electronic health records.
Panel says it will approve millions more for swine flu
The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said the group will approve spending more than $2 billion to deal with swine flu.
HHS uses widgets and live blogging
A new report by the Health and Human Services Department highlights its uses of widgets and other tools to improve transparency and service.
Flu funding could go to states
Some of the $1.5 billion that the Obama administration has requested to fight the H1N1 virus – the cause of the swine flu outbreak — could go to state public health disease tracking and monitoring programs.
Official: Some flu money would go to states
The president's request for $1.5 billion to deal with the swine flu outbreak includes money to help states respond to the disease, an HHS official said.
New swine flu money could go for monitoring
The administration's request for $1.5 billion to deal with swine flu could fund disease monitoring and tracking.
