Project Updates

healthcare professionals

NBS Modernization Progress in Q3

On October 3, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released modernized NBS version 7.0.0. This release brings several new features and improvements to enhance your experience with NBS. Access the release package on GitHub  or NBS Central to get more details on the update. The package includes detailed system environment requirements, install scripts, training videos, release notes, user guides, system install guide, and the necessary code to download and install NBS version 7.0.0 in your local environment.

NBS version 7.0.0 also introduces updated automation for establishing NBS infrastructure, networking, and configuration. These improvements ensure a smoother set-up process and greater flexibility in creating a pandemic-ready system. The release also incorporates backend enhancements to make NBS more adaptable and responsive to evolving needs and challenges.

The modernized NBS system has been designed to be cloud-agnostic, with future plans to support multiple public cloud service providers (CSP). For now, NBS version 7.0.0 has been rigorously tested with Amazon Web Services (AWS), making it the optimal choice for initial configuration.

In addition to this release, we are pleased to announce the NBS Modernization Demo Site which was made widely available on October 4, 2023. This site provides an opportunity for interested state, local, tribal, and territorial public health agencies and organizations to explore NBS 7.0.0, as well as all future versions, without the need to install the release package. It is a valuable resource for familiarizing yourself with modernized NBS and its capabilities. Additionally, it allows CDC to engage partners and users to gather feedback and continuously improve the product.

CDC plans to introduce the following modernized functionality, including Page Builder, Address Autofill, and updates to Patient Profile, Patient Data Entry, Patient Delete, and Patient Search. We are actively working towards a CDC cloud-hosted NBS modernization option, supported by ongoing user research to align with your evolving needs.

Updates

Updates made to modernized NBS this quarter include:

  • Security:
    • Provided improvements to system security by filling gaps in Mutual Transport Layer Security (mTLS) and enhancing our encryption capabilities in the demo environment.
    • Reduced the burden of authentication implementation by developing a way to integrate the modernized NBS with existing authentication systems rather than requiring new authentication approaches to the modernized application.
    • Enhanced system security and reduced the chances of unauthorized access to components of the modernized NBS by establishing a strategy to manage keys and secrets across the entire application.
  • Observability and Telemetry:
    • Implemented observability dashboards that will allow system administrators to monitor and report on system health: system load, error rates, and system response time.
    • Integrated Grafana reporting tool for enabling metrics, alarms, and dashboards.
  • Performance:
    • Used Spring Cloud Gateway to make routing between Classic NBS and modernized NBS more scalable and resilient. This routing enables our users to continue using NBS while we modernize it.
    • Improved routing and encryption compatibility between Kubernetes (K8s) and Classic NBS (non-Kubernetes infrastructure) by upgrading the Kubernetes ingress using Istio Gateway.
  • Data Optimization:
    • Set up an Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) tool repository to improve the performance and user experience when searching for patient records.
    • Completed the first version of the Data Ingestion Service, which provides necessary foundational pieces to track and route Electronic Lab Report data flowing into NBS.
    • With the goal of enabling real time reporting capabilities (instead of queued ETL jobs), began research and defined criteria for a proof of concept.
    • Began work to enhance data integration efficiency and security via authentication and authorization enhancements.
  • Demo Site:
    • Set up a well-maintained demo environment for NBS modernization to allow users to interact with the site smoothly and without interruption.
    • Improved accessibility in the NBS Demo environment to make it easier for screen readers to read the application.
  • Features:
    • Page Builder: Page Builder is a tool for creating new investigation forms, updating investigations, and transforming CDC data formats into investigations.
      • Engaged in developing the Page Library, Create Page, and Edit Page functionality enhancing the user interface (UI) and sequencing of steps to make it more intuitive for users.
      • Currently working on enhancing the user experience and UI optimizations for creating, editing, and managing pages and importing templates. This work is currently expected to be released next year.
    • Patient Profile: Patient Profile is a feature that allows users to collect data and refer to information specific to a patient record in NBS
      • Patient Search: Custom Search Enhancements that have been requested by users of the Search function in legacy NBS.
      • Patient Profile: Function provides a view of existing patient data, including open investigations and documents requiring review—including 3 tabs: Summary, Events, Demographics.
      • Patient Data Entry: Custom Patient Data Entry enhancements.
      • Patient Delete: A mechanism for deleting non-real and duplicated patient records.