The Public Health Information Network (PHIN) is a major initiative from the Centers for Disease Control, to provide standards-based disease reporting and public health information management.

The nine PHIN specifications are:

• The Automated Exchange of Data Between Public Health Partners
• The Use of Electronic Clinical Data for Event Detection
• Manual Data Entry for Event Detection and Management
• Specimen and Lab Result Information Management and Exchange
• Management of Possible Case, Contacts and Threat Data
• Analysis and Visualization
• Directories of Public Health and Clinical Personnel
• Public Health Information Dissemination and Alerting
• IT Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection

Why PHIN?
Over the years, the CDC developed a myriad of software applications to support disease reporting. There were applications for STD, for TB, for diabetes, for blood lead, for nosocomial infections, and on and on. These software applications were independent, incompatible, non-integrated, not standards based and didn't interface with other systems well. Netsmart has long advocated that the CDC focus on standards rather than developing software. While PHIN and its data collection arm NEDSS (National Electronic Disease Surveillance System ) do represent still more CDC software packages, they are much more. PHIN is a set of open standards and now public health agencies have choices about how they meet their reporting obligations.

Compliance versus Compatibility
PHIN compliance would suggest that a software system was built on PHIN specifications, using the PHIN Logical Data Model (LDM), HL7 messaging, PHIN Messaging System Transport, and the PHIN reporting and visualization tools. PHIN compatibility means that a system can exchanges messages using PHIN standards. Netsmart is working towards both Compliance and Compatibility

Netsmart Achievements in PHIN Compliance and Compatibility
Netsmart was building software long before there was a PHIN and our data model pre-dates the PHIN LDM. As a result, our software wasn't originally built on PHIN. Netsmart does not try to force our customers to move before they are ready. We can't convert to SNOMED coding until our customers do. Netsmart provides options for customers to begin to use PHIN compliant codes such as SNOMED, and we will provide code table conversions to assist in the transition.

Here's what Netsmart has already accomplished:

• Netsmart developed PHIN compliant Immunization Messaging using HL7 2.3.1 in 2003.
• Netsmart developed PHIN compliant Blood Lead results messages using HL7 2.3.1 in 2004.
• Netsmart has been a regular attendee and exhibitor at the PHIN conference in Atlanta and exhibited in 2005 and 2006.
• Netsmart incorporated components of the PHIN Data Model in new development for its Insight - LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) module released in 2005.
• Netsmart delivered support for PHIN-MS in July 2006.
• Netsmart TB, STD and Epidemiology modules support all disease reporting messages using the PHIN STF messages.
• Netsmart has obtained an OID through the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (http://www.iana.org).

And here's what Netsmart will be doing in the future:

• We will use the PHIN LDM when appropriate for new module development.
• We will continue to participate in PHIN conferences and provide internal staff education on PHIN.
• We will continue to monitor developments in PHIN and develop new products that support PHIN.

Contact us today for additional product information.