Zika Virus Survey: 3 in 4 providers want more information

There has been a lot of news lately regarding the Zika virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been over two thousand reported cases of Zika in the US with majority of them being travel-associated.¹ However, recently, it was reported that 14 cases were locally acquired by mosquito-borne transmission in the Miami-Dade County area.² Zika can be spread through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, maternal-fetal transmission, and sexual contact.³

Though most of the news has been on the outbreak of the Zika virus, its impact on local communities, and the government’s response, we wanted to learn what you — our providers — thought about Zika and how it’s impacting your practice and patients.

We recently surveyed our users about their perceptions regarding the virus in their practice and received over 500 responses. Here’s what we found:

About 5% of respondents said they have recently diagnosed patients with Zika, nearly all of which were in Puerto Rico.

In response to the survey, Practice Fusion will help guide you from your EHR to educational materials published by the CDC covering topics such as prevention, screening, testing, and alleviating symptoms.

The ability to conduct this survey and deploy relevant information and tools illustrates the power of using an EHR platform to gain a valuable provider perspective on an increasingly important public health matter.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this feedback Friday survey, and be sure to look out for the next survey in the near future, accessible right from your EHR.

¹ https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/world-map-areas-with-zika
² https://www.cdc.gov/zika/intheus/florida-update.html
³ https://www.cdc.gov/zika/about/index.html