The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is providing a funding mechanism to assist emergency departments in their role as provider-based sentinel networks as part of the Emerging Infections Sentinel Networks (EISN) program.
These works will contribute to surveillance for emerging infectious diseases, such as those caused by drug-resistant, foodborne or waterborne microorganisms, and vaccine-preventable or potentially vaccine-preventable diseases (e.g., Clostridium difficile, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae [CRE], viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases).
Emergency departments are considered an invaluable source of infectious disease data for several reasons: EDs treat large numbers of persons, persons with acute and severe disease, persons with clinical syndromes, persons with community-acquired infections, and at-risk populations; EDs can collect prospective data in real time and usually have hospital laboratories available to them; and EDs can also serve as the first line of detection and defense from public health threats and emerging infectious diseases.
These emergency departments will contribute to information for public health emergency preparedness and response through operational research on topics such as ED rapid triage, throughput, and surge capacity ( e.g., assess the clinical characteristics, impacts and outcomes of new and emerging diseases). In addition, frontline clinicians will help better address the disproportionate impact of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) on underserved and disadvantaged populations.
Public Health Impact
EISNs contribute to public health by ensuring recommendations are implementable in routine and emergency frontline healthcare settings; generating practical information for action; building capacity and clinical acumen to detect unusual events; and helping clinicians determine when it is appropriate to activate the public health system.
The funding mechanism is U01 Research Project Cooperative Agreements from the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (RFA-CK-22-003). The closing date for applications is 19 Oct 2021.
