Using Electronic Health Record Data to Monitor Trends in Human Illness from Algae Exposure

Harmful algal bloom aerosols and human health

“…An analysis of a US health claims dataset from commercial insurance and Medicaid identified records (n = 558) that used the ICD-9/10 codes for HAB exposure. 97 Respiratory illness was the most commonly reported among these records using HAB exposure codes, and these events tended to coincide with major HAB events, such as occurrences of red tides in the Gulf of Mexico region. The same authors also analysed emergency department visit data from the CDC National Syndromic Surveillance Program for HAB exposure-related diagnosis codes and chief complaint text terms, identifying n = 321 HAB-associated ED visits.…”

Healthcare Provider Confidence and Perceived Barriers to Diagnosing Illness Associated with Harmful Algal Blooms

“…7 Electronic health records are being examined as another data source to characterize the human health impact of HABs. 8 To explore the current state of confidence in identifying HAB-associated illnesses and perceived diagnostic barriers, we utilized a national survey of healthcare providers.…”