Quantifying benefits of using health information exchange to support public health STI reporting and treatment in Western New York.

OBJECTIVE:: To calculate average savings of using health information exchange (HIE) for demographic and treatment requests for chlamydia and gonorrhoea in Western New York, specifically the Erie County Department of Health and its catchment area. METHOD:: We conducted a mixed-method case study. Qualitative methods included interviews, document review, and workflow mapping, which were used as the inputs to identify time savings. Case rates, time savings, and salary averages were used to calculate average savings. RESULTS:: The avoided demographic information requests resulted in time and money savings (range of USD$2312-USD$4624 for chlamydia and USD$809-USD$1512 for gonorrhoea) as did avoided treatment requests (range of USD$671-USD$2803 for chlamydia and USD$981-USD$1635 for gonorrhoea). DISCUSSION:: HIE supported sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment by making it easier for public health staff to identify and act upon STI diagnoses. Availability of information online resulted in less reliance on provider offices for demographic and treatment information. CONCLUSION:: Results indicated that using HIE to support treatment and management of STIs can save public health staff time spent on obtaining demographic and treatment information. Other public health departments could use HIE for this and other types of disease surveillance activities. Considering public health needs in HIE development and use can improve efficiency of public health services and enhance effectiveness of activities.

Prospective cost-benefit analysis of a two-dimensional barcode for vaccine production, clinical documentation, and public health reporting and tracking.

In the United States recording accurate vaccine lot numbers in immunization records is required by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act and is necessary for public health surveillance and implementation of vaccine product recalls. However, this information is often missing or inaccurate in records. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a linear barcode of the National Drug Code (NDC) on vaccine product labels as a medication verification measure, but lot number and expiration date must still be recorded by hand. Beginning in 2011, FDA permitted manufacturers to replace linear barcodes with two-dimensional (2D) barcodes on unit-of-use product labels. A 2D barcode can contain the NDC, expiration date, and lot number in a symbol small enough to fit on a unit-of-use label. All three data elements could be scanned into a patient record. To assess 2D barcodes' potential impacts, a mixed-methods approach of time-motion data analysis, interview and survey data collection, and cost-benefit analysis was employed. Analysis of a time-motion study conducted at 33 practices suggests scanning 2D-barcoded vaccines could reduce immunization documentation time by 36-39 s per dose. Data from an internet survey of primary care providers and local health officials indicate that 60% of pediatric practices, 54% of family medicine practices, and 39% of health departments would use the 2D barcode, with more indicating they would do so if they used electronic health records. Inclusive of manufacturer and immunization provider costs and benefits, we forecast lower-bound net benefits to be $310-334 million between 2011 and 2023 with a benefit-to-cost ratio of 3.1:1-3.2:1. Although we were unable to monetize benefits for expected improved immunization coverage, surveillance, or reduced medication errors, based on our findings, we expect that using 2D barcodes will lower vaccine documentation costs, facilitate data capture, and enhance immunization data quality.

The motive for sensory pleasure: enjoyment of nature and its representation in painting, music, and literature.

Eight studies assessed the motive for sensory pleasure (MSP) involving a general disposition to enjoy and pursue pleasant nature-related experiences and avoid unpleasant nature-related experiences. The stated enjoyment of pleasant sights, smells, sounds, and tactile sensations formed a unitary construct that was distinct from sensation seeking, novelty preference, and need for cognition. MSP was found to be related to (a) enjoyment of pleasant nature scenes and music of high but not low clarity; (b) enjoyment of writings that portrayed highly detailed nature scenes; (c) enjoyment of pleasantly themed paintings and dislike of unpleasant paintings, as distinct from findings with Openness to Experience; (d) choice of pleasant nature scenes over exciting or intellectually stimulating scenes; (e) view duration and memory of artistically rendered quilts; (f) interest in detailed information about nature scenes; and (g) frequency of sensory-type suggestions for improvement of a museum exhibit.