About Electronic Case Reporting
Historically, communicable disease reporting to state and county health departments was paper-based, relying heavily on FAX, telephone and snail mail. While most laboratory information systems allow timely and efficient electronic laboratory reporting (ELR), sophisticated electronic health record systems (EHRs) can allow for the timely and efficient transfer of health information that is not available via ELR. Electronic case reporting (eCR) is the generation and transmission of reportable condition case reports from an EHR to public health for review and action. Both of these reporting tools are critical to Public Health disease surveillance programs and thus to population health.
Because Oregon supports an integrated disease surveillance system, participating in the Oregon eCR Project allows healthcare providers and health systems a way to report cases to the Oregon Public Health Division (OPHD) and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs) for further investigation using electronic data interchange. In this system, the OPHD functions as an electronic hub to accept, route, and process eCRs containing critical demographic, clinical, and treatment information not typically included in ELRs.
In collaboration with the CDC, Oregon is onboarding eCR submitters using the
Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)
Informatics Messaging Service (AIMS) platform. AIMS provides detailed information for both
Healthcare Providers and
EHR Implementers regarding the implementation and submission process. After notifying Oregon of intent to submit, sites interested in submitting eCR must reach out to
AIMS to get more information about how to proceed with testing.
Legally Mandated eCR Submission