SendSS Introduction and Overview
This training will provide instructions on how to use SendSS – State Electronic Notifiable
Disease Surveillance System for
SendSS can be accessed through
your web browser at https://sendss.state.ga.us.
The learning objectives for this training are:
To navigate through this training, use the back, next, or
menu buttons located at the bottom right side of each screen.
SendSS Introduction and Overview
This training is divided into four sections:
Introduction and
Overview –
Provides an overview of SendSS and an orientation to screen layout and navigation.
Case Reporting Training –
Provides instruction on how to access existing patient data in SendSS.
Analysis Training –
Provides instruction on how to use the dynamic report feature with patient data in SendSS.
Hepatitis B Tutorial –
Provides a demonstration of case reporting and focuses on Hepatitis B, which is one of the more complicated diseases to work with in SendSS.
SendSS Introduction and Overview
To navigate through the SendSS training, you will click on the Next button at the bottom of each screen. This will allow you to proceed linearly through the entire training. If you prefer to select specific topics, rather than complete the entire training, you may use the Menu tab located at the bottom right corner of each screen. When you click on the Menu tab, you will be presented with the SendSS menu. From this menu, you may click on the training topic that you would like to review. In order to close the menu, click on the Close button.
To exit from this training, close the browser window using the X button at the top right corner of the
screen.
SendSS Introduction and Overview
The SendSS software is generally
updated several times a year, so please keep in mind that the features you see
in the training may not exactly match those in the program (Demo or SendSS database). In
addition, user IDs are established so that you can
only view records that are part of your hospital system, county, or
district. This may also explain why what
you see in the training may differ slightly from what you see when logged onto
the SendSS program.
SendSS Introduction and Overview
SendSS (State Electronic Notifiable
Disease Surveillance System) is a
web-based database for capturing and reporting notifiable
diseases in
SendSS Introduction and Overview
Diseases identified as “notifiable” are required by law
to be reported to the Georgia Division of Public Health.
The use of SendSS to report patient cases of notifiable diseases allows public health agencies to track data and follow-up with affected individuals. SendSS data is used to identify outbreaks and examine disease trends across the state.
SendSS Introduction and Overview
SendSS provides:
· Secure communication among SendSS users
SendSS Introduction and Overview
The SendSS home page can be accessed at https://sendss.state.ga.us and is best viewed using Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 6 or higher. To become a SendSS user, you must complete the registration process to obtain a User ID and password in SendSS. This is accomplished by clicking on the “Click Here” link above the User ID field.
Detailed information about the SendSS registration process can be found in the “Registration and Login Procedures” link.
SendSS Introduction and Overview
The SendSS login screen offers several options related to confidentiality, system use, and disease surveillance.
Four links are provided at the bottom of the login screen:
VeriSign – Links to information about VeriSign, the software program that protects SendSS data and keeps it secure.
SendSS Demo System – The SendSS demonstration
system contains sample data that allows the user to practice using the
system. Separate registration is
required for the demonstration and the production systems in SendSS.
Health Statistics
Query – Registered users can generate reports of health conditions in
Georgia Peach
–
Links
to the Georgia Division of Public Health Epidemiology website.
SendSS Introduction and Overview
Each time you login to SendSS, you will be presented with a Privacy Statement.
Agreeing with the Privacy
Statement confirms your status as an authorized SendSS user who is accessing the database
only for reporting and treatment purposes.
Agreeing with the Privacy
Statement also confirms that you will reasonably safeguard protected health
information from any use or disclosure that is in violation of the Privacy
Statement and state or federal law.
SendSS Introduction and Overview
A status box is located
at the top of the screen and contains a lock feature. This feature resembles a padlock. After signing onto SendSS,
you have the ability to “lock” the system.
The lock feature will allow you to temporarily leave the system without
losing your work. It will also prevent
other unauthorized users from viewing the information on your screen if you
need to leave your work station.
If there is no activity
in SendSS and you do not lock the system you will automatically
be locked out after 25 minutes.
SendSS Introduction and Overview
When you unlock the
system, you will be returned to the SendSS screen
where you were working.
To unlock the system, enter your SendSS
password in the field provided and click on the Unlock button to return to your
work.
SendSS Introduction and Overview
The status box also displays any of your unread messages
from other SendSS users. To view a message, go to the Home tab and
click on the displayed message that you would like to view.
SendSS Introduction and Overview
Every SendSS screen provides the following features:
Help –
Provides information on SendSS.
Contact Us –
Provides an email address and information on
how to contact the Georgia Division of Public Health with questions regarding SendSS.
My Account –
Allows the update of a user’s personal
information in the SendSS system.
Logout –
Exits the user from SendSS.
SendSS Introduction and Overview
At the top of each screen are three tabs –
Home -
Allows the user to view any unread messages and/or send a
message to another SendSS user.
Case Reporting –
Used to search for existing patients, update information,
and input new patient records.
Analysis –
Used
to generate reports on SendSS patient data.
Case Reporting
Report/Update Case
Entering Patient Data
To begin the process of entering patient data into SendSS, place your cursor on the Case Reporting tab and select the Report/Update Case option from the drop list displayed.
Patient Search
When Report/Update Case is selected, you will be presented with the Patient Search screen. The Patient search screen helps you to determine if you need to report a new patient case or make a change to an existing patient case.
The Patient Search process is required every time you enter patient data.
Mandatory Fields
Enter data in the mandatory fields that are marked with the red dot.
It is recommended that you also enter the patient’s first name.
The mandatory fields on the patient search screen are:
Click on the Search button once you have entered your search criteria.
Patient Search
Results
The Patient Search Results will display the patient records that most closely match the information you entered. The SendSS system will rank the patient records by how well they match your search information.
Patient Search
Results
The search results show the patient, “Amelia, Jo” in bold type. This means that there is a match between the Patient Search information entered and an existing record for Jo Amelia in SendSS.
Verify Patient Record
It is very important to verify the information displayed on the patient record matches the information that you have on the patient.
For example, if the birth date in the SendSS patient record is different than the birth date in your patient’s record – it is an indication that these are not the same patient.
Create New Patient
If the records displayed do not match the information on your patient record, click on Create New Patient. The Create New Patient function is covered in detail in the Hepatitis B Tutorial. The tutorial can be accessed from the SendSS Training Main Menu.
This training on Report/Update Case will focus on working with an existing patient record.
Create New Incident
To view the details of a patient record, click on the patient’s name. If the patient record is bold, you will have the options of updating the existing disease record – in this example, Salmonellosis, or Create New Incident.
The Create New Incident will include the disease that was input in your Patient Search Criteria. In this example the disease Salmonellosis was input as part of the Patient Search Criteria.
Patient Search
Results
If a patient record is displayed that is not bold, this is
an indication that the patient is in the SendSS
database due to being previously reported for a different disease than the
disease identified in your Patient Search Criteria.
If you click on the name of a patient that does not have a
name in bold type, you will not be able to see the previous disease that is
identified for the patient.
When clicking on the name of a patient that does not have their name in bold type, you will be presented with the General Notifiable Disease Report Form. Available patient information will be prefilled for an existing patient along with the disease from your search criteria – in this example, Salmonellosis.
Important: verify the Disease and Date of Onset listed on this form are accurate. If they
are not correct do not save this form.
To conduct another patient searc, click on the Case
Reporting tab and then on Report/Update Case link.
Expand Form Sections
Expand each section of the form by clicking on the blue bar above each section. It is important to check for mandatory fields in each of these sections.
Save Patient
Information
When you have completed the form, click the Save button at
the bottom of the screen. This will save
any information that you have input to the form.
Requested/Required
Fields
After clicking Save, you may be presented with a message box telling you that “Requested / Required Data is Missing”.
Mandatory or required fields (fields with red dots) must receive data input in order to successfully save the patient data.
Requested fields may receive data input or can be bypassed by closing the message window and clicking on the Save button again.
Progress Notes
After saving your work, you will be presented with a finalized patient record.
At the top right of the finalized patient record screen is the Progress Notes icon. Click on this icon to add Progress Notes to the patient’s record.
Progress Notes
Progress Notes can be entered to report general information about the patient once the patient record has been saved.
Progress Notes can be updated for a single patient by multiple SendSS users. Each Progress Note is attached to a SendSS user name. This makes it easy to identify who has written a Progress Note for a patient.
Finalized Patient
Record
To view your next options in SendSS, scroll to the bottom of this screen.
You will see details showing who entered the case and when.
Buttons available at the bottom of the screen are:
Edit –
Allows changes to the record.
Report Another Case - Returns the user to the Patient Search screen.
Print Version –
Prints the information displayed on this screen.
SendSS Case Deletion
To delete a patient case in SendSS,
a request must be sent by email to the SendSS support
team. To do this click on “Contact Us”
under the status box at the top right side of the screen.
You will be presented with the Contact Us screen. The recipient will be prefilled
with SendSS Support.
SendSS Logout
Exit SendSS by clicking on the Logout link at the very top of the screen.
Case Reporting
View Patient History
View Progress Notes
The View Patient History feature allows the viewing, printing, and updating of the progress notes for a patient. It does not allow any changes to the patient’s record.
To update a patient’s record and their Progress Notes you must use the Report/Update Case option under the Case Reporting tab.
Patient Search
You must enter the last name of the patient and if known, the first name in the Patient Search Criteria and click on the Search button at the bottom of the screen.
Ranked Search Results
You will be presented with the records that are the closest match to your search. The records will be displayed in a ranked order, with the highest rank or closest match displayed at the top of the list.
View Patient Record
Click on the patient’s name to view the record. Once inside the patient record, click on the date displayed in the Date of Onset column. This will display the full details of the patient record.
Print Patient Record
At the bottom of this screen are two buttons:
Close Window –
Closes the window you are viewing.
Print Version –
Prints the record you are viewing.
When you are done with the View Patient History feature, you may navigate to another SendSS screen by clicking on one of the tabs at the top of the screen.
Exit SendSS by clicking on the Logout link at the very top of the screen.
Case Reporting
View Case Status
View Cases You Have
Entered
The View Case Status screen allows you to view the cases that you have entered into SendSS and the status of those cases.
The
The Sort By field allows you to determine how SendSS should sort the results of your search. For example, you can sort your records by patient name or by the city of the patient.
Query Results
The Query Results section of the screen displays the results
of your search.
If all the results cannot be displayed on one screen, click
on the page numbers at the top of the list or the word “next” at the bottom of
the list to advance through the query results.
If you should have any questions about your Query Results,
you may send an email to the link: SendssSupport@dhr.state.ga.us provided
in the Query Results section.
Additional Queries
To perform additional queries, change the values in the fields under the Query Criteria section and then click on the Refresh button.
View Case Status
To navigate to another screen in SendSS, place your cursor on the appropriate tab at the top of the screen and then click on the link that you would like to see.
Case Reporting
Case Management
Case Search
Case Management provides the ability to search for cases. The cases that display after the search may require further follow-up. These cases can be updated if needed.
Unopened Cases
The cases shown are unopened cases that have been entered in
the last 30 days. An unopened case is
one that has not been viewed through the Case
Management option.
The CM Case Selection Criteria allows you to define the features of the cases for which you would like to search.
The CM Query Results section of the screen will display the results of your query.
Date Search
The Case Selection Criteria section includes a date search by Daily, Monthly, or Yearly. Once you have made your selection, the options of the date search criteria displayed below will change according to your choice.
Disease Group
Once you have entered your choice of date for the search,
you may also identify the Disease Group and Location.
The Disease Group choices are:
All -
Includes General Notifiables
and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). The user’s ability to view STDs will depend
on the viewing authority that has been granted by the SendSS
administrator.
General Notifiables –Includes all
diseases except Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases – May be only be viewed by SendSS users with the proper authority.
Locations
The Locations field contains the locations that you are authorized to view (for example – public health district).
The Sort By field sorts the patient cases according to the option you select (for example – name or disease).
The Display option will display the cases that meet the
chosen criteria. The choices are:
unopened, opened, all, or closed cases.
The default display status is unopened cases.
Opening Cases vs.
Viewing Cases
Cases displayed under the CM Query Results will have a “+” symbol next to each entry. Click on the + to see the case details.
Clicking on the patient name opens the case and moves the
case to the opened files. This means that the case will be visible when
selecting the display options open or all.
Clicking on the disease listed below the patient’s name (in this example E. Coli) will open the file for viewing. No changes will be allowed to the case.
Button Functions
The functions of the four blue buttons at the bottom left of
the screen are:
Select – Selects
all the cases displayed by placing a check mark in the box to the left of each
case.
Open - Once you have selected a case, you may change the status of the case to open by clicking on the Open button.
Clear – Clears out any check marks in the boxes on the left side of the screen.
Close – Changes the status of the case to closed for any cases that have a check mark in the box to the left of the case.
Once a case has been closed, the information in the case can be updated through the Report/Update Case option, but the case cannot be reopened in case management. Cases may be closed when there is no follow-up on the case.
Updating a Patient
Record
To make changes to a record, click on the patient’s name. This will open the record for editing.
You will be presented with a message box indicating that the page will display both secure and nonsecure items. Click the Yes button to continue.
Once you have made updates to the patient’s record, click the save button at the bottom of the screen.
SendSS Case Deletion
To delete a patient case in SendSS, a request must be sent by email to the SendSS support team. To do this click on “Contact Us” under the status box at the top right side of the screen.
You will be presented with the Send a Message screen. The recipient will be prefilled with SendSS Support.
The subject of your message should include the topic of case deletion.
The message should include:
1 - Patient name
2 - Disease
3 - Date of onset
4 - Reason for deleting the patient record.
Click the Send button at the bottom of the screen to send the message.
Case Reporting
Send a Message
Emailing SendSS Users
Click on Send A Message to send an email to another user within the SendSS system.
Send Sensitive
Patient Information in a Secure Environment
The messaging feature in SendSS allows you to email sensitive patient information in a secure environment.
On the Send a Message screen you will need to identify:
Recipient of your message Subject of your message Message contents
Click the Send button at the bottom of the screen to send the message.
Analysis – Dynamic Reports
Dynamic Reports
This section will focus on the Dynamic Reports feature of Analysis.
To begin the process of analyzing SendSS data, place your cursor on the Analysis tab and select the Dynamic Reports option from the drop down list that is displayed.
Select Template and
Output Format
The first section of Dynamic Reports allows you to select a group of diseases to report on and select the report destination.
You are given the option to either open a report template that has been created previously (either by you or another SendSS user who has shared a template with you) or develop a new template. Previously created templates can be selected from the second drop down list, called Current Template. A report template is a selection of fields that the user wants data on.
A new template can be given a name in the New Template Name field. This should be done if you plan to save the template.
You can also select the Report Destination. SendSS gives you the option of sending the report to the current screen, an Excel spreadsheet, or an Epi Info database.
Select Fields
If you are creating a new Report Template, you must select the fields that will be included in the analysis. The Select Fields section displays all the fields that are available to you, which can then be selected for the report. If a previously saved template is being used, this section can also be used to add or remove fields.
The available fields are grouped into categories, which can be viewed or reduced by clicking on the + sign. You can close the categories without losing your selections.
Select Fields
Criteria for the report can be selected by clicking on the desired fields. Once selected, the name will be highlighted in blue and there will be a small triangle to the left of it. To unselect fields, simply click on the name and the triangle will disappear.
Note that there are several diseases, including Salmonella, E. coli, and Hepatitis B, which have separate fields for reporting detailed information.
Select Criteria for Selected Fields
The Select Criteria for Selected Fields section allows you to set conditions for the fields in your report. Once this section is opened, it will display all of the fields that you selected in the previous section (or were saved in the template). If no criteria are set for a field, all values for that field will be displayed in the report.
Select Criteria for
Selected Fields
There are three different screens you may see when adding criteria for a field. These are automatically generated by the SendSS system according to the type of field selected.
The three screens that you may see are:
1. Free Text —
Allows you to specify general text, such as names or letters.
2. Date —
Allows you to set conditions around a specific date, including before, after, equal to, or between.
3. Multi-Select —
Allows you to select values from a unique list determined by SendSS based on the field selected.
Select Criteria for
Selected Fields
To apply text or date criteria to a field, click on the field name. The Operator drop down list allows the user to select a filter.
For example, if you applied criteria to the field Last Name, in order to only include patients whose last name started with a B, then the select criteria would read: Last Name – Patient (Field Name), Like (Operator), B (Criteria 1).
The Sort box allows you to order the results of the report. For example, if you enter 1 in the Sort box for last name, SendSS will display results in alphabetical order by patient’s last name.
Select Criteria for
Selected Fields
The Multi-Select field allows you to select values from a unique list determined by SendSS. Items from the list may be selected by clicking the name; a blue highlighted box will appear. For example, if you want to report only on Salmonella and do not want to use the more detailed field described earlier), you could select it from this list. You may also select All or Clear All by clicking the respective fields at the top of the box.
Like the Free Text and Date fields, the Multi-Select field also allows you to sort the results of the report.
Formatting Report
The order of rows that will be displayed in the final report can be changed by highlighting a field and using the up and down arrows at the top of the column.
The red “X” at the right hand side allows you to remove a field from the report. Once a field is deleted, all previously saved criteria for that field will also be deleted.
Process Query
Once the fields have been selected and any criteria established, you can process the report by clicking on the Process Query button located in the Select Criteria for Selected Fields section. The report results will be displayed in the format you previously selected—on the screen, in Excel, or in Epi Info.
If the report is printed to the screen, columns can be resized by clicking on the line separating the columns.
Save Template
If you want to save the new report or save changes made to an existing one, the Save Template function should be used. This requires giving the template a unique name in the field provided.
Share Template
If you have created a report template that may be useful to colleagues, you may share it with other SendSS users by selecting Share Template.
The system will provide a list of SendSS users, which can then be highlighted and saved. Those selected users will now see the newly created template in the Current Template box the next time they log in.
Process Summary
The Process Summary button allows you to produce counts, averages, minimums, and maximums for the fields in the report. This function provides an additional analysis component that allows you to view a snapshot of the data in your report.
This function corresponds to the Summary Operation field in the Select Criteria for Selected Fields section. For best results, you should set the limitations for the Summary Operation for each field that you want summarized.
Process Summary
There are several possible selections, including:
None—
No summary operations will be performed.
Group By—
Displays results for each distinct value in the field.
Sum—
Provides a running total for a field.
Min or Max—
Returns the minimum or maximum values for
each distinct value in a field.
Avg—
Returns average value of field.
Cnt—
Returns the number of cases matching a set
criteria.
After setting each criteria, click on the Save button.
Process Summary
Once the criteria have been set, you can click on the Process Summary button to view the results.
The example on the screen shows how the final Process
Summary report looks. As shown in the
Select Criteria screen, the report provides a count of patients in
Hepatitis B Tutorial
Case Reporting
Report/Update Case
This presentation will cover the subject of creating a new
patient in SendSS (State Electronic Notifiable Disease Surveillance System).
To begin the process of entering new patient data into SendSS, the cursor should be placed on the Case Reporting tab and the Report/Update Case option should be selected from the drop list displayed.
Patient Search
When Report/Update Case is selected, the Patient Search screen will display. The Patient Search screen helps to determine if there is an existing patient record. Once this is determined, a patient record can be updated or a new patient record can be created.
The patient search process is always required before any patient data is entered into SendSS.
Mandatory Fields
For the best search results, input the mandatory fields that are marked with the red dot.
It is recommended to also input the patient’s first name to
achieve the best search results.
The mandatory fields on the patient search screen are:
Click on the Search button once the search criteria have been input.
Patient Search
Results
The results will display the patient records that most closely match the information entered on the Patient Search screen.
The search results show that a patient record for John Frost
is not listed among the patient records displayed.
Create New Patient
If the records displayed do not match the information on the
patient search, then Create New Patient should
be used.
Create New Patient
When Create New Patient is used - the General Notifiable Disease Report Form will be presented. The name
and disease information entered on the search screen will carry over to this
screen. All the remaining fields should
be input with the information available on the patient.
The Disease Information
Section of the form will display the disease input on the Patient Search
screen. The user should verify that this is the correct disease for the patient
record. If the correct disease is not
displayed, it cannot be changed on this screen.
To change the disease, the
search process must be started again. To do this, click on
the Case Reporting tab at the top of the screen and then on the Report/Update Case option. This
will enable another patient search and provide the option to identify another
disease.
Field Input
Use the tab key or the
mouse to navigate between the fields displayed on the screen.
For fields that have drop
down boxes (city, county, etc.), use the list provided or type in the letters
of the city or county that should be input. For example, for “City”, typing “Atl” will automatically advance the drop list to
Expand each section of the form by clicking on the plus (+) sign
or blue
bar above each section. It is important to check for mandatory fields
in each of these sections.
Hospital Admissions/Lab Information
Within the Hospital
Admissions and Lab
Information sections, the Add button must be clicked in each of
these sections to save the information entered.
Lab Information
To change or delete the Lab Information entered, click on
the Edit or
Person First Reporting
In the Person First Reporting
section, the hospitals, physicians, and lab users have a “My Details” button.
They can click on this button and it will prefill
their user information in the fields displayed in this section.
Requested/Required
Fields
After clicking the Save button, a message box may appear indicating that “Requested Data is Missing” or that a required field with a red dot is missing data.
Mandatory or required fields (fields with red dots) must receive data input in order to successfully save the patient data.
Requested fields may have data input or can be bypassed by closing the message window and clicking on the Save button again at the bottom of the screen.
Case Report Form
If the disease has an additional Case Report Form this will be presented with a message after clicking on the Save button.
Click the Close button inside the message to close the message.
Case Report Form
To view your next options in SendSS,
scroll to the bottom of this screen.
You will see details showing who entered the case and when.
Buttons available at the bottom of the screen are:
Edit –
Allows changes to the
record.
Report Another Case –
Returns the user to the Patient Search screen.
Print Version –
Prints the information displayed on this screen.
Or
Click on the Case
Report Form tab at the top right corner of the screen to complete the Viral
Hepatitis Case Report Form.
SendSS Case Reporting – Report/Update Case
Case Report Form
To enter Case Report information, click on the Case Report
Form tab.
Case Report Form
After clicking the Case Report tab, the Case Report Form
will be displayed. In this example it is
the Viral Hepatitis Case Report Form (this is an extended from for viral
hepatitis). This form is used to collect risk factor
data and additional patient information for hepatitis cases.
Case Report Form
When the form is completed, click on the Save button at the
bottom of the form. The completed Viral
Hepatitis Case Report will display.
Case Report Form
To make any changes, click on the Edit Button at the bottom
of the form. After inputting any
changes, click the Save button again at the bottom of the form.
Patient Screen
To return to the Patient screen, click on the Patient tab at the top right of the screen.
Progress Notes
Progress Notes can be entered to report general information about the patient once the patient record has been saved.
Progress Notes can be updated for a single patient by multiple SendSS users. Each Progress Note is attached to a SendSS user name. This makes it easy to identify who has written a Progress Note for a patient.
Click on the icon which appears at the top right side of the
screen to enter any progress notes.
Progress Notes
Once Progress Notes have been entered for the patient, click the Save button at the bottom of the screen to save the information entered.
Click the Close
Window button to return to the Patient screen.