SAS and Texas DSHS Collaborate to Develop Advanced Flu Tracking Dashboards
Global analytics leader SAS and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) have joined forces to create cutting-edge public health dashboards for monitoring influenza data across the state. This collaboration aims to consolidate multiple flu surveillance sources into a centralized visualization platform, providing comprehensive insights into the spread of influenza. Leveraging SAS’ advanced analytics capabilities, the dashboards will also incorporate predictive models, equipping healthcare providers with better projections of disease transmission.
With the introduction of these flu dashboards, Texas health officials can streamline their efforts and focus on their primary goal of safeguarding the health of Texans.
The new data visualizations and analytics will be pivotal for the Texas DSHS in anticipating regional surges in flu cases and efficiently allocating state resources to areas with the greatest testing and vaccination requirements. By offering the public a clear understanding of their local outbreak risk based on updated weekly data, Texas DSHS can implement preventive measures that mitigate the severity of outbreaks and save more lives across the state.
Powering the Texas DSHS dashboards and analytics is SAS® Viya®, an advanced cloud-based platform that integrates AI, machine learning, analytics, and data management capabilities.
Dr. Meghan Schaeffer, National Public Health Advisor and Epidemiologist at SAS, emphasized the value of SAS Viya for public health departments like Texas DSHS, enabling them to leverage data to its fullest potential. “With a better understanding of flu patterns and future projections, Texas health officials can focus on their most important work: keeping Texans healthy,” stated Dr. Schaeffer.
The enhanced data representation offered by these dashboards will enable healthcare providers to make informed decisions more swiftly, especially during peak flu seasons. Additionally, SAS Viya’s ability to unify previously isolated data sources onto a single dashboard significantly reduces the time required for flu data analysis, transforming hours of work into mere minutes. This accelerated response time empowers providers to promptly scale up influenza testing and vaccination efforts, while facilitating the identification of outbreaks for health stakeholders.
