NSSP Update – August 2023

NSSP Update

A Technical Newsletter for the NSSP Community of Practice | August 2023

The National Syndromic Surveillance Program issues NSSP Update monthly to share the latest Community of Practice activities, technical and program updates, and ways in which syndromic surveillance is improving public health.

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CSTE

Register for the 4th Annual Syndromic Surveillance Symposium TODAY!

This is your opportunity to learn from and exchange ideas with colleagues. Please complete the registration form by November 20, 2023.

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HOW NSSP WORKS ACROSS CDC

COVID-19 is a Public Health Priority CDC Continues to Monitor

NSSP data and algorithms are used to detect trends and monitor effectiveness of prevention and control strategies.

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TECHNICAL TIPS AND TRAINING

Tips for Using Free-Text Queries to Improve ESSENCE Search Criteria

Here’s how free-text queries work when some fields are BLANK and others NULL.

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NSSP WEBSITE

New to Syndromic Surveillance?

For new site admins, we have a job aid for easing into your new role. New staff? Read “Tips for Engaging Staff.” New to NSSP? Check out these resources to learn about syndromic surveillance, especially the new training series titled Introduction to Syndromic Surveillance Methodology.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Check Out the Updated Laboratory Data FAQs

We explain NSSP’s agreement with a national lab, data flow and frequency, health conditions covered, specimen identifiers, and more.

Jan 2022 ESSENCE Word Cloud

Monthly National-level Free-text ESSENCE Queries

Analysts can exercise a high level of customization by using free-text queries. They can quickly code free-text queries and rapidly respond to outbreaks, disasters, and health events that unfold. These word clouds capture free-text queries from a national perspective.

Jan 2022 ESSENCE Word Cloud

Developing Syndrome Definitions

NSSP works with health departments, CDC programs, and others to develop and improve syndrome definitions. Here is a list of the syndromes being worked on now.

Mark Your Calendar

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The NSSP CoP Call Calendar lists the monthly NSSP Community of Practice call and subcommittee/group meetings. The CoP Call Calendar is maintained by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE).
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The monthly patching schedule for Testing/Development and Onboarding/Production environments is posted in Technical Updates.