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
Technical Resources and Training
RHINO Variables and Definitions
Recommended syndrome definitions used to categorize visits into conditions of interest and frequently used variables for analysis can be found in the RHINO Variables and Definitions (Excel) spreadsheet.
For detailed information about the data collected, refer to the Washington State Messaging Guide for Syndromic Surveillance (PDF) and the NSSP Data Dictionary.
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.
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.