RHINO Data Description

Data collection began in mid-2016, with a small number of hospitals. Since then, the number of facilities submitting data has grown, and continues to grow. Preliminary data is typically received within 24 hours of a healthcare visit taking place. Records are updated throughout the course of the healthcare visit and after discharge, as records are finalized. This can take anywhere from 24 hours to several months, with most records anticipated to be complete within a month of the healthcare visit.

Facilities submitting data

Data elements for healthcare visits

Records are available for each healthcare visit that took place at a healthcare facility submitting data to RHINO. Data elements available for each healthcare visit may include:

Patient Demographics

  • Date of birth*
  • Age*
  • Gender*
  • Height
  • Weight BMI
  • Race*
  • Ethnicity*
  • Zipcode*
  • County*
  • State*
  • Country*

Facility Information

  • Facility Name*
  • Facility Address*
  • Facility Type*
    • Primary Care
    • Specialty
    • Urgent Care
    • Emergency
    • Inpatient

Visit Information

  • Visit date/time*
  • Patient Class*
    • Emergency
    • Inpatient
    • Outpatient
    • Obstetric
    • Observation
    • Recurring
    • Pre-Admit
    • Direct Admit
    • Admission reason code
    • Medical record number*
    • Unique visit ID*
    • Procedure code
    • Insurance Information
    • Discharge date/time*

Clinical Information

  • Chief Complaint*
  • Admit reason (inpatient)*
  • Onset date*
  • Clinical impression
  • Triage Notes*
  • Initial temperature*
  • Systolic/diastolic BP
  • Travel history
  • Pregnancy status*
  • Smoking status
  • Medication list
  • Diagnosis(es)*
  • Diagnosis type*
    • Admitting
    • Working
    • Final
  • Discharge disposition
  • Death (Y/N)*
  • Death date/time (if applicable)*

*Required to be reported if collected in patient's Medical Electronic Record

It is important to note that, while the above listed data elements are all captured by RHINO, the specific data elements available for each individual visit record may vary.

For detailed information about the data collected, refer to the Washington State Messaging Guide for Syndromic Surveillance (PDF) and the Washington Syndromic Surveillance Program Data Dictionary (Excel).

Technical Resources and Training

RHINO Guidebook

RHINO maintains a comprehensive guidebook Working with RHINO (PDF) for using syndromic surveillance data in Washington State. It includes overviews of publication standards and dataset linking, an ESSENCE walkthrough, and a list of hospitals with production-quality data. RHINO staff update the guidebook in June and December.

ESSENCE Trainings

Pre-recorded basic, intermediate, and advanced ESSENCE trainings are available. Sessions include a review of ESSENCE basics, guidance on building custom queries, demonstrations of pre-made dashboards, and advanced user tips for monitoring conditions of interest.

*Required to be reported if collected in patient's Medical Electronic Record

It is important to note that, while the above listed data elements are all captured by RHINO, the specific data elements available for each individual visit record may vary.

For detailed information about the data collected, refer to the Washington State Messaging Guide for Syndromic Surveillance (PDF) and the Washington Syndromic Surveillance Program Data Dictionary (Excel).