Benefits of using PA-NEDSS The Web-based disease reporting system establishes a real-time, secure communication link between laboratories, hospitals, individual medical practices, and the DOH for reporting public health, laboratory and clinical data.
In addition to expanding the tracking and analysis of infectious disease and outbreaks, PA-NEDSS helps Pennsylvania and the nation increase preparedness and responsiveness to possible bioterrorism attacks. PA-NEDSS implements standards for collecting, managing, transmitting, analyzing, accessing, and disseminating public health data.
Specifically, PA-NEDSS provides you with the following:
- Health alerts, updates, and advisories
- Point of care data entry
- Patient information with the elimination of data entry duplications
- Reduced morbidity by helping your patients receive public health case management and/or intervention in a timely manner
- Compliance with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania health regulations and assistance to the DOH in ensuring public health safety to all residents and visitors
- More time for analysis and less time spent on data entry by reducing the complexity and number of forms
- Future capabilities including the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) function and robust data analysis
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The reporting process While the disease reporting process remains the same, physicians, infection control departments, and laboratories should begin using PA-NEDSS in place of the current card and form-based methods. Timely data is critical to the state's surveillance and disease intervention efforts. As part of the front-line of the public’s health, DOH encourages physicians to use PA-NEDSS to report any unusual symptoms, as well as those conditions required by law.
Physicians should use PA-NEDSS to report:
- Most infectious diseases
- Vaccine preventable diseases
- Lead poisoning
- Tuberculosis (as of January 2003)
- Sexually transmitted diseases (except HIV/AIDS)
Reports submitted through PA-NEDSS will be reviewed and acted upon by the appropriate public health staff located throughout the state.
For the DOH Rules and Regulations on Reporting of Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases, please refer to Chapter 27 of the Administrative Code and/or the
PA Bulletin.
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Contact information
Persons with questions regarding the Department’s electronic reporting system should contact:
Joel H. Hersh
Director, Bureau of Epidemiology
Pennsylvania Department of Health
PO Box 90
Harrisburg, PA 17108
(717) 783-4677
jhersh@state.pa.us If you have not registered please contact PADOH’s Information Technology staff at (717) 772-8797 or by email at PA-NEDSS@state.pa.us to begin the registration process.
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Additional resources
To register and begin disease reporting, go to the PA-NEDSS Welcome page.
Visit the DOH website for:
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