A new paper published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease highlights the pivotal role of PCORnet® in transforming national health surveillance.
Surveillance, which involves collecting and analyzing health data from various sources to track the spread of diseases, monitor health trends, and detect any new health threats, is traditionally achieved through surveys and public health reports. While these provide valuable information on the epidemiology of chronic and infectious diseases, the increasing availability of electronic health records, or EHRs, brings opportunities to fill information gaps that national surveillance systems do not capture (e.g., patient-level geographic information, longitudinal data, etc.). This manuscript explores the promise of PCORnet to help researchers efficiently glean these kinds of insights from EHRs on a national scale to improve surveillance.
Key Highlights from the Manuscript
- Leveraging PCORnet fills gaps in existing surveillance data: PCORnet offers unparalleled access to secure, deidentified patient-level geographic information on a broad scale, as well as comprehensive longitudinal clinical data generally not available through existing national surveillance systems. PCORnet can also offer a granular view of geographic data units, like ZIP codes and census tracts, to support more reliable surveillance data.
- Pilot projects demonstrate value: Pilot surveillance projects within PCORnet have highlighted the robust infrastructure, which was instrumental during the national COVID-19 public health response. These projects offered critical lessons in utilizing PCORnet for efficient surveillance.
- PCORnet supports faster surveillance: During fast-moving health crises, answers can’t Researchers can use PCORnet to glean rapidly refreshed data with short latency, making the infrastructure useful for tracking infectious disease outbreaks and chronic disease trends.
The use of patient-centered distributed research networks like PCORnet has the potential to meaningfully enhance health surveillance research. With extensive data resources, streamlined processes, and successful pilot projects aimed at meaningfully improving the lives of patients, PCORnet has proven itself an invaluable resource for advancing public health.