Chicago Health Event Surveillance System (CHESS)

• What is CHESS?
• CHESS and I-NEDSS
• CHESS Functionality
• Who are CHESS users?
• CHESS Frequently Asked Questions
• CHESS Contact Information

What is CHESS?

The Chicago Health Event Surveillance System (CHESS) is an Internet-based system being built within the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) to improve the timeliness and accuracy of disease reporting and surveillance information. The implementation of the CHESS system impacts the people, operations, and technology of both the CDPH and its external stakeholders, including the provider community.

The CHESS system is the City of Chicago's response to the NEDSS (National Electronic Disease Surveillance System) initiative driven by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The "NEDSS vision" put forth by the CDC includes use of the Internet for data collection and transmission, collection of data as close to the source as possible, incorporation of electronic laboratory reporting and use of uniform coding schemes and data transmission protocols.

CHESS will incorporate public health data across five surveillance programs (Communicable Diseases, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Tuberculosis, and Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention) and the office of Vital Records. CHESS will also include limited functionality for the Office of HIV/AIDS Surveillance.

For a complete listing of conditions that can be reported through CHESS, click here.

When fully implemented, CHESS will:

• Enhance accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of public health surveillance information
• Integrate surveillance data across five program areas and the Office of Vital Records
• Provide real-time access to data
• Reduce redundant data entry
• Support preparedness and response for public health threats, including bioterrorism and infectious disease outbreaks.
• Improve collaboration across health agencies and jurisdictions, including hospitals and laboratories and the State
• Adhere to CDC standards, PHIN and HIPAA specifications

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CHESS and I-NEDSS

CHESS will be the disease reporting system to be used by providers within the city of Chicago as well as the CDPH. Those providers and health departments outside the city of Chicago will use I-NEDSS. I-NEDSS is the response by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to the national NEDSS initiative. CDPH and IDPH share a vision of integrating the two surveillance systems in the future. This integration would allow for key functionalities such as transferring cases, use of common patient and provider indices, and dissemination of investigation data. The specific details of the CHESS / I-NEDSS interface will be determined through a collaborative effort between CDPH and IDPH.

CHESS Functionality

CHESS provides users the ability to submit disease reports, manage patient information, create investigations and complete other surveillance activities online. This functionality will be utilized by CDPH and health care providers within Chicago, including laboratories.

For those laboratories that choose to become trading partners with CDPH, CHESS also provides Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR) functionality. This functionality establishes an interface that allows the trading partner to automatically submit disease reports into the CHESS database.

More details on the functionality of CHESS can be found at the link below.

View CHESS Functional Details.

Who are CHESS users?

• All hospitals, laboratories, clinics, institutions and physicians that report diseases within the City of Chicago will use CHESS. (Health care providers outside the City of Chicago will use I-NEDSS to report diseases to their local health department.)
• CDPH public health investigators will use CHESS to investigate diseases and outbreaks.
• Laboratory trading partners in the city of Chicago will transmit electronic messages to CHESS through the ELR interface.

CHESS Frequently Asked Questions

For answers to some of the frequently asked questions regarding CHESS, click here.

CHESS Contact Information

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