Application Access & Support

How do I get access?

Every state and local public health department has a BioSense administrator responsible for granting access to the application and the appropriate data.

• State level users are granted access to view BioSense data from their state
  
• Local public health users are granted access only to the cities or metropolitan reporting areas (MRAs) within their jurisdiction.

Each healthcare system transmitting real-time data through BioSense also has a BioSense administrator who is responsible for granting access to the application for users within the hospital.

• Local users whose jurisdictions do not fall within a BioSense MRA can be granted access to state or zip code level data if approved by the state BioSense administrator. In addition, user-requested customized metropolitan areas or regions can be created using sets of zip codes.

To obtain the contact information for the appropriate BioSense administrator for your jurisdiction, send an email request to BioSenseHelp@cdc.gov.
 

What is the process for obtaining access?

Upon approval from the local BioSense administrator via CDC’s Secure Data Network (SDN). The SDN ensures that the parties who access any sensitive electronic transaction are who they claim to be. It supports bilateral authentication in which both users and programs can be certain that they are connected to or are communicating with the correct uniquely identified individual or entity, and it provides for multi-step electronic trust relations supported by industry-standard Certificate Authority services.

Building the Power of Technology

The BioSense program is currently focusing on the use of grid technology. A “grid” is a way to connect multiple computers, across the country to allow data sources to share and view large amounts of health information. Technological advances will allow grid participants to analyze data in other jurisdictions without moving the actual data, which is an important step forward in overcoming policy barriers to moving data out of a jurisdiction. Grid technology benefits public health by:

• Reducing redundant data collection
• Allowing secure, controlled views of data
• Avoiding costly investments in processors or data libraries

Application Demonstration Video