title: Communication Between Infectious Disease Physicians and US State and Local Public Health Agencies: Strengths, Challenges, and Opportunities.
abstract: Strong working relationships between infectious disease (ID) physicians and public health have resulted in the early detection of emerging infectious threats. From May 6 through June 5, 2015, we surveyed ID physicians in the Infectious Diseases Society of America's Emerging Infections Network about communications with public health. A total of 688 of 1491 (46%) members completed the survey, 624 (91%) of whom knew how to reach their health department directly for an urgent issue. Only 38 (6%) described communications with their health department as poor. Interest in newer technologies (eg, mobile smartphone applications) showed mixed results. Interest in a smartphone application differed significantly by years of ID experience, with 81 of 146 (55%) respondents with <5 years of ID experience, 172 of 359 (48%) respondents with 5 to 24 years of ID experience, and 61 of 183 (33%) respondents with ≥25 years of ID experience in favor of a smartphone application (P< .001). As more physicians adopt newer communication technologies, health departments should be prepared to incorporate these tools to communicate with ID physicians.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, Atlanta, GA, USA; Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santibañez
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa, Emerging Infections Network, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Philip M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Polgreen
authors.affiliation: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Arlington, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Beekmann
authors.affiliation: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Arlington, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cairns
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center Medical Service, Infectious Disease Section, Minneapolis, MN, USA; University of Minnesota, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Filice
authors.affiliation: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY, USA; Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Marcelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Layton
authors.affiliation: Emory University, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003142:Communication; D034742:Electronic Mail; D006801:Humans; D055552:Infectious Disease Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D020407:Internet; D063731:Mobile Applications; D010820:Physicians; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000379:methods*; D062486:Public Health Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D014481:United States
keywords: communications; emerging infectious diseases; mobile smartphone applications