Nebraska State Department of Health
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) is a governmental organization headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. The agency offers human and health services for both regular patients and families. Its mission is to help individuals have better lives and find ways to address health issues effectively (Karan, 2017). In ensuring effective healthcare services, the NDHHS has immunization and cancer registries that help monitor common diseases in Nebraska, hence coming up with plans to treat and prevent those conditions.
Cancer Registry
Nebraska cancer registry was established in 1986 by the Nebraska Unicameral, and it began cancer data collection in 1987. It helps determine the type of cancer an individual has, the stage of the disease during diagnosis, the period a person will survive after diagnosis, and the kind of treatment they will receive (Bacchus et al., 2021). The information in the registries helps the medical community develop disease management plans for specific incidences. The “North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR)” recognizes the Nebraska cancer registry for producing accurate, complete, and timely cancer data (Karan, 2017).
Immunization Registry
Nebraska State Information Immunization System (NESIIS) is a statewide secure web-based system. It has been established to share and connect immunization data amongst private health clinics, public clinics, local health departments, hospitals, and schools. The immunization registry provides information on the types of vaccines available, the number of vaccinated individuals, the kind of disease vaccinated against, and the age level of the person vaccinated (Karan, 2017). Nebraska State Information immunization registry helps a state health department to trace vaccines and improve the immunization rate amongst its citizens.
Sources of Data
Nebraska’s Cancer Registry Sources of Data
The sources of data for the registry include health agencies, that is, the local public health offices, public health institutions, and state agencies. In a hospital setup, data can be obtained by taking records of patients in either outpatient or inpatient departments and getting diagnosed with cancerous disorders (Bacchus et al., 2021). Examples of sectors where cancer data can be found in Nebraska include the Nebraska Hospital Association, Nebraska’s Local Health Departments, and Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health.
Nebraska’s Immunization Registry Sources of Data
NESIIS contains numerous sources that report immunization data into the system. All the organizations that take part in vaccine administration submit their data into the electronic system for records (Karan, 2017). The information submission is unpaid except for immunization vaccines given with funding from the Vaccine for Children Program (VCP). Examples of these organizations in Nebraska include Public Immunization Clinics, Urgent care Clinics, Medical Clinics, School-based clinics, Pharmacies, and Nursing homes.
Diseases Required to Be Reported by Nebraska’s Department of Health
The flu
Flu or influenza is a respiratory disease caused by an influenza virus, and it infects the throat, nose, and lungs. Flu is a dangerous disease for children, and its symptoms are fever, cough, fatigue, aches, diarrhea, and vomiting (Qu, 2018). Therefore, babies can be protected from flu by vaccinating their mothers with an influenza vaccine when pregnant since children below six months cannot be vaccinated with a flu vaccine.
Breast Cancer
Female breast cancer is the most diagnosed frequent cancer not only in Nebraska but worldwide. According to the research, one in every eight females in America is identified with breast cancer in her lifespan, which will mainly cause her death (Bacchus et al., 2021). There is a need to report the progress of breast cancer in Nebraska to help do more research on preventing and introducing improved chemotherapy plans.
Conclusion
Nebraska state has immunization and cancer registries which are helpful in monitoring and improving the healthcare sector. The registries contain information regarding the types of diseases and the number of individuals affected. These registries obtain data from different organizations in Nebraska, which also include non-governmental agencies. Diseases like breast cancer and influenza should be reported frequently to develop standard strategies for prevention and treatment since they are common in Nebraska.
References
Bacchus, M. W., McKee, B., Gwede, C. K., & Cogle, C. R. (2021). Implementation of Cancer Plans in the United States: A review in healthcare (Vol. 9, No. 3, p. 291). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
Karan, K. (2017). The use of Electronic Health Records Data for Public Health: A snapshot of current practices in Nebraska’s Local Health Departments.
Qu, M. (2018). Common Public Health Data in a State Health Department. In Smart Use of State Public Health Data for Health Disparity Assessment (pp. 37-47). Productivity Press.