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Sunday, Nov. 08, 2009

Ga. effort helps track flu

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Officials at Medical College of Georgia Hospital and Clinics will soon use computers in a national effort to more closely track the flu pandemic.

The MCG clinical system is one of 550 nationwide working with medical records provider Cerner in its Flu Pandemic Initiative. It will eventually become 1,100 providers.

Data about flu visits - with identifying data removed - is taken directly from electronic medical records several times a day and sent to a central provider in Kansas City, which then forwards it to public health officials.

David A. Snyder, the chief quality officer and chief medical informatics officer for MCG Health Inc., says this could help build a picture of the prevalence of H1N1 flu.