Michigan Department of Health & Human Services
- Reduce outbreak response time through autonomous workflows
- Streamline process of collecting and integrating COVID-19, chlamydia, HPAI and other communicable disease data into legacy population health systems
Challenge
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) was overwhelmed with managing COVID-19 case investigations. Case investigators were conducting investigations and contact tracing for thousands of patients each day. More specifically, case investigators were (1) attempting to contact individuals of positive or probable diagnosis; (2) then conducting comprehensive interviews; (3) and finally providing education on self-care, wellness, and isolation.
Moreover, case investigators were struggling to connect with hard-to-reach populations or populations where English was not their first language. When case investigators were not communicating with patients, they were inputting all relevant interview data into a cumbersome legacy data system called Michigan Disease Surveillance System (MDSS).
Though the high volume of COVID-19 cases eventually dissipated, these challenges surfaced again when HPAI, measles and other communicable diseases began to appear throughout Michigan.
Solution
People.Health’s case investivation and surveillance solution, LHD Connect, was integrated with Michigan’s primary disease tracking system, MDSS. The automated solution includes an electronic, secure, personalized message to all contacts and cases containing (1) local health department communication including links to health safety tips and phone numbers for specific case questions; and (2) patient questionnaires to fill in current health data and close contact information. The message can be instantly translated into other languages.
Results
LHD Connect significantly reduced the burden on local case investigation teams by automating outreach and data collection, enabling investigators to focus on high-priority cases and direct patient support. The multilingual messaging and mobile-friendly design improved response rates, especially among hard-to-reach populations. Integration with MDSS streamlined workflows and eliminated duplicative data entry, accelerating the pace of investigations and improving the accuracy of statewide surveillance.
