Distributed data processing for public health surveillance

BMC Public Health

Table 3 Sample limited identity line list. (Synthetic data for purposes of illustration).

Index	Syndrome	Visit date	Visit comment	Age Group	Gender	City	Zip code	Event type	Temp	ICD9 codes	Tests ordered
18	Botulism-like	2/17/2006	New!!	35 to 39	M	Winchester	01890	Visit	0	Visual Disturbances;spec	None
20	Botulism-like	2/17/2006	Last Visit 02/14/2006	5 to 12	F	Medford	02155	Visit	0	Diplopia	None
51	Fever	2/17/2006	Last Visit 01/31/2006	1 to 4	F	North Reading	01864	Visit	98.9	Viral Infections Unspecified; Unspecified Viral Infection	Other cultures
52	Fever	2/17/2006	New!!	60 to 64	M	Arlington	02476	Visit	97.4	Viral Infections Unspecified; Unspecified Viral Infection	None
107	GI:lower	2/17/2006	New!!	1 to 4	M	Ayer	01432	Tel. call	0	Abdominal Pain, unspecif.; Shortness of Breath	None
108	GI:lower	2/17/2006	New!!	13 to 19	F	Burlington	01803	Visit	98.2	Gastroenteritis/colitis N	None
378	Neurological	2/17/2006	Last Visit 02/10/2006	40 to 44	M	Wilmington	01887	Tel. call	0	Convulsions, Other	None
379	Neurological	2/17/2006	New!!	55 to 59	M	Lowell	01854	Visit	0	Headache	None
411	Rash	2/17/2006	New!!	50 to 54	M	Weymouth	02188	Tel. call	0	Herpes Simplex Nos	None
434	Respiratory	2/17/2006	New!!	13 to 19	F	Hyde Park	02136	Visit	98.1	Bronchitis Acute;Cough	None
435	Respiratory	2/17/2006	Last Visit 01/30/2006	40 to 44	F	Belmont	02478	Visit	0	Mononucleosis, Infectious	None
436	Respiratory	2/17/2006	New!!	80+	M	Middleton	01949	Tel. call	0	Strep Sore Throat	None

Note: These can be shared with a health department to determine whether it is worthwhile to follow up individual cases, in which case full identifiers can also be provided. Temp = patient temperature if recorded

ISSN: 1471-2458