BioSense NSSP User Manual

April 2021

Technical Assistance: support.syndromicsurveillance.org

The National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) promotes and advances development of the
cloud-based BioSense Platform, a secure integrated electronic health information system that hosts
standardized analytic tools and facilitates collaborative processes. The BioSense Platform is a product
of CDC.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the

Access & Management Center

April 2021

Produced by

Division of Health Informatics and Surveillance

Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Revision History

Date Revisions

April 2021

November 2020  Removes references to the Adminer tool that has been retired

September 2020

July 2020

 Updates reflect enhancements and changes in User Interface, release 1.5.4

(Sections 2–5, 7, and 9)

 Supports AMC software release 1.5.3

 Describes new rules for managing and restricting data access

(Section 5.1.8, “Selecting Clinical Laboratory Data”)
(Section 5.1.9, “Selecting Mortality Data”)

 Describes enhancements to the Master Facility Table

(Section 9.1, “Facilities Inactivation Reason and Date”)
(Section 9.2, “Facilities in U.S. Territories”)

 Supports AMC software release 1.5.2
 Converts Quick Start Guide to User Manual
 Describes new rules for managing (and restricting) data access

(Section 5.1.7, “Selecting Syndromic Restrictions”)

 Describes enhancements to Reports Tab (Section 10, “Reports”)

Contents

1. Overview, 1

2. Access, 3

2.1 Obtaining Log-in Credentials, 3

2.2 Logging In to AMC, 3

2.3 Review and Accept Code of Conduct, 4

2.4 Activating Your Account, 4

3. Home Page, 7

3.1 User Home Page, 7

3.2 Site Administrator Home Page, 8

3.3 Data You Can View in ESSENCE, 8

4. Navigation, 9

4.1 Home Tab, 9

4.2 Manage Users Tab (Site Administrators Only), 10

5. Data Access Rules, 15

5.1 Create a Data Access Rule, 15

5.1.1 Rule Name and Description, 16

5.1.2 Data Access Time Limitation, 16

5.1.3 Select Users or User Groups, 17

5.1.4 Selecting Data Sources, 19

5.1.5 Access to All Data Sources, 19

5.1.6 Access to Individual Data Sources, 20

5.1.7 Data Access Timeframe Restriction, 21

5.1.8 Restrict Data by Facility or Location, 22

5.1.9 Access to Multiple Data Sources, 23

5.1.10 Selecting Syndromic Restrictions, 25

5.1.11 Selecting Clinical Laboratory Data, 26

5.1.12 Selecting Mortality Data, 28

5.2 Review and Submit the Rule, 29

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | iii

6. Edit a Rule, 31

6.1 Select a Rule to Edit, 31

6.2 Modify Rule Characteristics and Save, 32

6.3 Stop Using a Rule, 34

6.3.1 How to Suspend or Deactivate a Rule, 34

6.3.2 How to Delete a Rule, 34

7. Examples of AMC Data Access Rules, 35

7.1 Facility Location Examples, 35

7.2 Patient Location Examples, 36

7.3 Sharing County Data with a User in Another State, 37

7.4 Example of Editing a Rule, 40

7.5 Translate AMC Data Access Rules to ESSENCE, 42

8. User Groups, 43

8.1 Create a New User Group, 43

8.2 Edit a User Group, 44

9. Master Facility Table, 45

9.1 Facility Inactivation Reason and Date, 45

9.2 Facilities in U.S. Territories, 46

10. Reports, 47

11. Commonly Performed AMC Activities, 49

11.1 Site Administrators, 49

11.2 Users, 49

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | iv

1. Overview

The Access & Management Center (AMC) provides a common access point for NSSP applications and supports
the BioSense Platform’s administrative functions for implementing tools and applications.

Users have access to the AMC Home tab’s three sections:

 My Info section provides access to the user’s profile

information (My Profile), a Change Password function,
and a copy of the Users Code of Conduct.

 The NSSP Application section provides links to ESSENCE,

data query and analysis tools, and Data Quality
Dashboard.

 The Resources section provides links to the Service

Desk, Data Dictionary, and other resources.

For those with elevated privileges, such as site administrators,
the AMC provides functionality in multiple tabs. In addition to
the Home tab that everyone sees, the following tabs provide
administrative and access functionality:

 The Manage Users tab allows site administrators to

modify any of their site’s users. They can control the
user access to the ESSENCE National View and Chief
Complaint Query Validation Tool. Access to the
DataMart, RStudio Pro, and SAS Studio can be granted
here. Platform-wide communications (Data Quality and
Processing and Onboarding Communications) is also
granted from this tab.

 The Data Access tab provides an interface to existing

rules that control access to ESSENCE data on an
individual or group level. Here existing rules can be
modified or deleted, and new rules can be created. Data
access rules allow site administrators to control access to the
site’s Data Sources for everyone who uses the RStudio Pro and
SAS Studio applications.

 The User Groups tab displays the user groups edit page.

Existing groups can be renamed and members can be added or
deleted. User Groups can be designated as Public (viewable by
all sites) or Private (only viewable within the site).

This user manual will help you access and navigate the AMC’s main features. The manual will be updated as
functionality is added. The username and password you use for the AMC are the same credentials you will use

to log in to ESSENCE, RStudio Pro, and SAS Studio (if applicable).

What is a site?

NSSP organizes facilities (e.g., hospitals,
emergency departments, urgent care
centers) under a single administrative
authority called a site. A site may
oversee any number of facilities, all of
which share the same site administrator
and Master Facility Table (facility
metadata).

What is a site administrator?

 A site administrator creates user

accounts and controls access to
data on the BioSense Platform.

 Your site will assign one or more

people to serve as site
administrator.

If you’re a site administrator and need
access to the AMC, please submit a
ticket to the NSSP Service Desk at

support.syndromicsurveillance.org.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 1

[This page intentionally left blank]

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 2

Figure 1. AMC Log-in Screen

2. Access

2.1 Obtaining Log-in Credentials

To request AMC access, contact the site administrator(s) for your site. Sites are responsible for creating policies
to manage user accounts and access to your data.

What happens when my account is created in the AMC?

 You will receive two emails from [e-mail]. One will contain your new username

and the other email will have your one-time password. You must log in to the AMC to accept the Code of
Conduct and set a new password before logging in to ESSENCE or other applications.

 This new username will work for all applications on the BioSense Platform to which you have access,

including AMC, ESSENCE, RStudio Pro, and SAS Studio. Not all users have access to all applications on the
BioSense Platform.

2.2 Logging In to AMC

1. Go to https://amc.syndromicsurveillance.org/.

2. Enter the username and temporary password sent to you via separate emails (Figure 1).

3. Click Submit.

If you forget your password or username, you can use the links on this login page to retrieve them. If you believe
your credentials are correct, but still have trouble logging in to the AMC, contact the NSSP Service Desk at

http://support.syndromicsurveillance.org

.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 3

Figure 2. BioSense Platform Code of Conduct

2.3 Review and Accept Code of Conduct

The first time you log in to the system, you are required to review and accept the BioSense Platform Code of
Conduct (Figure 2). The Code of Conduct outlines proper practices and responsibilities (data-sharing etiquette)
for the BioSense Platform user community.

Users must accept the Code of Conduct under the
following conditions:

 First time logging in.
 Every 90 days when password expires.
 User resets password.
 Changes are made to user’s authorized access

(e.g., if a user account becomes a site
administrator account).

If the I Agree button is not active, we suggest that you
change the browser zoom setting. Go to Settings and if,
for example, you’re using Chrome, look in the upper right corner of the screen and click on the three vertical
dots. Then change the zoom setting from 100% to 90% (if 90% zoom does not work, 80% zoom usually works).

2.4 Activating Your Account

You must change your password the first time you log in to the AMC (Figure 3 below). You will not be able to
access the AMC or other tools until you have accepted the BioSense Platform Code of Conduct and changed
your password.
[e-mail]. This email account is not monitored. Do not send or reply to this email address.

When creating a new password, be aware that all passwords must meet the minimum requirements listed
below.

Password Requirements

 Passwords must meet four criteria:

 Passwords must not contain a sequence of three or more characters from any part of the following:

 Passwords must be more than 75% different from your previous password on a character-by-character

basis (e.g., ABCD is original password, AEFG or ADBC are valid changes, but AECD or ABCE are invalid
changes).

 Passwords must not match your previous 24 passwords.

Note: Your “Old Password” will be the one-time password you received in the email from

o Contain both upper and lowercase letters
o Contain numbers
o Contain special characters
o Contain exactly 12 characters

o First name
o Last name
o Email
o The word “password”

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 4

Figure 3. Change Password Screen with Dynamic Rule Validation

 Since there are specific password requirements, we recommend using a random password generator for

enhanced security. We suggest searching the internet for “Free Password Generator” for links to various
utilities that are available to do this.

 You may change your password at any time but are required to change it every 90 days. The same user

name and password combination is used for AMC, ESSENCE, RStudio Server Pro, and SAS Studio.
Note: This is accomplished with the Windows Active Directory (AD) functionality, so when you change

your password, there may be a delay from 5 to 45 minutes while your password change propagates
through the AD system. Please be patient.

 First time users should be made aware of the AD propagation delay. When you change your password,

you may not be able to log in to ESSENCE, RStudio Pro, and SAS Studio immediately. Please wait at least
5 minutes before trying.

You cannot log in to any NSSP applications until you have accepted the Code of Conduct and reset your initial
password in the AMC.

Here is what the Change Password screen looks like (Figure 3):

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 5

What if I forget my password?

Figure 4. Dynamic Password Rule Check

When you begin typing in your new password, it is dynamically checked against the required rules. In the
example below (Figure 4), we started typing a new password to illustrate how this works.

Navigate to the AMC log-in page and click the “Forgot Password” link.

Provide the requested information to receive an email with a new one-time password.

 When you receive your new password, use it to log in to AMC.
 Once logged in, you will be taken directly to the Change Password screen and required to

change your password before proceeding.

 Enter your one-time password as your “Old Password.”

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 6

Figure 5. AMC User Home Page

3. Home Page

3.1 User Home Page

The AMC home page (Figure 5) for users provides access to applications and links to useful resources:

My Info

Users and site administrators can follow links to change passwords, update selected profile data, and view the
Code of Conduct for using the BioSense Platform’s AMC tool.

NSSP Applications

Users and site administrators can gain quick access to tools and applications for viewing data submitted to the
BioSense Platform:

 ESSENCE—Capture, analyze, store, and share data.
 RStudio Pro—View MS SQL data and perform advanced data analysis.
 SAS Studio—View MS SQL data and perform advanced data analysis.

Resources

 NSSP Service Desk—You will be asked to set up a password. Once you have a password, you may submit

general or technical questions about NSSP. Your question will be routed to a specialist. Links to

Service Desk

 NSSP Technical Resource Center—This is a go-to place for NSSP publications (user manuals, quick start

guides), forms, standards and guidance, message mapping guides, fact sheets, onboarding guidance and
job aids, and access to BioSense Platform applications. Links to Technical Resource Center

 NSSP Community of Practice Website—The website links to forums, work groups, training, knowledge

repository, and more. This website is for anyone interested in syndromic surveillance who wants to
collaborate, share ideas, and learn from or contribute to the community.
Links to NSSP Community of Practice (Note: The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists [CSTE]
facilitates the NSSP Community of Practice through a cooperative agreement with CDC.)

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 7

Figure 7. Data You Can View in ESSENCE

Figure 6. Site Administrator's Home Tab

 Data Dictionary and Data Flow Requirements—The Data Dictionary promotes standards-based

vocabulary for exchanging consistent information among public health partners. The Dictionary contains
details on data elements stored in NSSP data tables. Worksheets link to the Public Health Information
Network Vocabulary Access and Distribution System (PHIN VADS) website for specific data elements
associated with a standard. Links to NSSP Data Dictionary Spreadsheet

3.2 Site Administrator Home Page

Site administrators can perform additional functions in the AMC. The home page for site administrators
(Figure 6) includes the following tabs:

 Home—Change password, update profile, and navigate to other BioSense Platform applications and

resources.

 Manage Users—Add, modify, or remove user accounts for your site.
 Data Access—Add, modify, or remove data access permissions for ESSENCE accounts.
 User Groups—Add, modify, or remove group members.
 Master Facility Table (MFT)—Add, modify, or view facilities for your site.
 Reports—View users who can access your data.

3.3 Data You Can View in ESSENCE

Both the user and site administrator have a section at the bottom of the home page that allows them to see
data they can access via ESSENCE (Figure 7).

Rule Name

NSSP National View □

Aggregate Only

NSSP National View □

Aggregate Only

NSSP National View □

Aggregate Only

4. Navigation

Rule

Site

NSSP

NSSP

NSSP

User Name User Site Data Source

Dmckenziemeu01(Dan

McKenzieMEU)

Dmckenziemeu01(Dan

McKenzieMEU)

Dmckenziemeu01(Dan

McKenzieMEU)

State

State

State

National View

Region Syndrome

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 8

Data Quality

(HHS Region)

Datasets

Alert List

Data

Details

“WHERE” Statement

N

N

N

(if applicable)

4. Navigation

The AMC Home page is organized by tabs across the top. A list and description of each tab follows.

4.1 Home Tab

The Home tab allows users and site administrators to do the following:

 View My Info,
 Navigate to NSSP Applications,
 Navigate to Resources, and
 View the user’s data access rules for ESSENCE.

My Info

You may update your profile, change your password, and view the Code of Conduct for users. As a site
administrator, the functionality is similar, but you will be able to see the Code of Conduct for both users and site
administrators.

NSSP Applications

Users and site administrators can gain quick access to tools and applications (ESSENCE, RStudio Pro, and SAS
Studio).

Resources

This section links to resources available to all users: Service Desk to request technical and general support;
Technical Resource Center for NSSP-specific onboarding materials, quick start guides, user manuals, and
guidance documents; NSSP Community of Practice website for accessing the Knowledge Repository and for
connecting with thought leaders and experts in analytics, informatics, and surveillance; and Data Dictionary and
Data Flow Requirements.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 9

Figure 8. Manage Users Page

4.2 Manage Users Tab (Site Administrators Only)

The Manage Users tab (Figure 8) is available only to site administrators. This tab allows site administrators to
create new accounts or to view and modify user accounts within their site. The site administrator can also use
this page to download a Comma Separated Values (CSV) file for an Excel list of users within their site.

Site administrators are responsible for creating and managing the user accounts for their site.

Create Users

To create a new user account, click Add New User. Provide the requested information and click Save. Once you
successfully save a new user, an email containing log-in credentials will be sent to the user.

Things to remember when creating a new user:

 First Name, Last Name, and Email Address are required.
 You can only add users to your site.
 Users within your site must have unique email addresses.

Modify User Accounts

To review or modify a user account, select a row in the user table and click View/Edit. You will be able to see
and update the user profile.

Removing (Deactivating) User Accounts

Due to CDC policy, user accounts cannot be deleted. If a user no longer requires access, select the account, click
View/Edit, and change the Account Status radio button selection to “Inactive.” If you deactivate a user in the
AMC, that user will no longer be able to use the AMC or other BioSense Platform tools.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 10

Figure 9. User Profile Page

User Profile Page

The User Profile page (Figure 9) displays a user’s contact
information and sections for account information and details.

User Profile

This section contains contact information and background.

 User Name—The user name required when logging into

all BioSense Platform applications. The user name is
automatically generated by AMC and cannot be changed
once a user’s account has been created.

 First Name—The user’s first name. This field is editable by

the user and site administrators.

 Last Name—The user’s last name. This field is editable by

the user and site administrators.

 Email Address—The user’s email address. Password

expiration emails will be sent to this email address. This
field is editable by the user and site administrators and
must be unique within the site. Federal users are required
to use their government email address.

 Office Phone—The user’s contact phone number. This

field is editable by the user and site administrators.

 Organization—The user’s organization affiliation. This

field is editable by the user and site administrators.

 Epidemiologist—Box should be checked if the user is an

epidemiologist. This will add the user to the site’s
epidemiologist data access rule. This field is editable by
site administrators but NOT by individual users.

 Site—The site affiliation assigned to a user during account

creation. If a user requires multiple site affiliations,
multiple user accounts must be created. A user’s site
affiliation cannot be changed once a user’s account has
been created. Site administrators should contact the NSSP
Service Desk if a change of site affiliation is required.

 Privilege Level—The level of access a user is granted for the BioSense Platform tools and applications. This

field is only editable by NSSP staff. Site administrators may contact the NSSP Service Desk if a change of
privilege level is required.

 PIV Required—This checkbox is checked if the user has a PIV card and requires a PIN code for logging in to

both AMC and ESSENCE. Once checked, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ID field
and PIV Exception Status fields become visible. These fields are only editable by NSSP staff.

 HHS ID—The user’s HHS ID found on the back of the PIV card. This number is required if the “PIV Required”

checkbox is selected. Note: This field is primarily used by CDC and other staff.

 PIV Exception Status—“Active” indicates that PIV user may log in with a user name, password, and PIN code.

To activate field, the site administrator must select the “Grant PIV Exception” button.

 Foreign National—“Yes” indicates that the user is a foreign national, whereas “No” indicates that the user is

not. This is required for security purposes but does not alter permission. This field is editable by site
administrators but NOT by individual users. (A Foreign National is anyone who is not a U.S. citizen, U.S.
national, or immigrant who has been granted the right to permanently reside and work in the United States.)

 Contractor—“Yes” indicates that the user is a contractor. “No” indicates that the user is not a contractor.

This information is required for security purposes but does not alter permissions. The field is editable by site
administrators but NOT by individual users.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 11

Account Information

This section of the user’s profile details information about the account and password status. To implement the
BioSense Platform’s single sign-on functionality, the AMC synchronizes passwords across the Active Directory,
AMC, and ESSENCE. If any of the three password statuses show “Password Locked,” a site administrator can
select the “Unlock ALL Accounts” button to unlock accounts and change the password status to “Active.” If any
password statuses show “Password Expired,” or if the user has forgotten the password, the site administrator
can click Reset User Password to email the user a password reset link and temporary password.

 Account Status—When “active,” indicates the user’s account is enabled. When “inactive,” the user’s

account is disabled. A site administrator can activate or inactivate a user’s account by selecting the
corresponding radio button and saving. When a user’s account status is “inactive,” he or she will be
unable to log in to any of the applications on the BioSense Platform.

 AMC Password Status—The status of the user’s AMC account password.
 Active Directory Password Status—The status of the user’s Active Directory account password.
 ESSENCE Password Status—The status of the user’s ESSENCE account password.
 AMC Password Expiration Date—The expiration date of the user’s current password.

ESSENCE National View Controls—Site administrators may control which accounts can view the National View
and Chief Complaint Query Validation data sources within ESSENCE. By default, accounts do not have access to
these data sources.

 National View Aggregate Only—Select this option to view the ESSENCE data sources “Patient Location

(Limited Details by HSS Region)” and “Facility Location (Limited Details by HHS Region)” at an aggregate
level (i.e., the user may view charts, graphs, and maps with no access to line-level data).

 National View Aggregate and Details—Select this option to view the full details for the ESSENCE data

sources “Patient Location (Limited Details by HHS Region)” and “Facility Location (Limited Details by HHS
Region)” (i.e., the user may view charts, graphs, and maps as well as the line-level data).

 Chief Complaint Query Validation Tool—Select this option to view the ESSENCE data source “Chief

Complaint Query Validation.”

The National View data sources contain limited fields aggregated to the HHS Region level. The intent is to
provide a high-level national picture of syndromic surveillance data. Every site that sends data to the BioSense
Platform is contributing to National View data sources.

The Chief Complaint Query Validation data source contains Chief Complaint and Discharge Diagnosis text to
allow users to refine queries. No identifying information—such as age, region, facility, or sex—is available in this
data source. Sites may choose NOT to include their data in the Chief Complaint Query Validation data source.

Database Access—Site administrators may control which user accounts can access their site’s data within the
DataMart. By default, user accounts do not have access to this data source.

 DataMart (Site-level Access)—Select this option to allow users to access and run queries against their

site’s MS SQL tables. Users may access SQL tables by using built-in functionality in RStudio Pro or SAS
Studio. This option does not grant access to any custom SQL views for counties, facilities, or other data
subsets developed by request. To grant user access to custom SQL views, site administrators need to
submit a Service Desk request.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 12

Application Access—Site administrators may control which accounts have access to the RStudio Pro and SAS
Studio applications. By default, new user accounts do not have access to these tools.

 RStudio Pro—Select this option to allow users to access and visualize site-level SQL data via RStudio Pro.

You must also grant access to the DataMart.

 SAS Studio—Select this option to allow viewers to access and visualize site-level SQL data via SAS Studio.

You must also grant access to the DataMart.

Site-specific Communications—Site administrators may control which user accounts receive site-specific
communications. There are two categories of site-specific communications:

1. Data Quality and Processing Communications—Select this option to allow a user to receive site-specific

communications related to data quality and data processing, including

o Daily BioSense Platform Site Processing Summary.
o Quarterly Executive Data Quality Summary.
o Monthly Data Quality Report emails (completeness, timeliness, validity).
o Miscellaneous data quality issue information.

2. Onboarding Communications—Select this option to allow a user to receive site-specific communications

related to onboarding, including information about

o Data validation and facility management emails (i.e., day-to-day onboarding operations).
o Connectivity and technical assistance emails (e.g., feed setup).
o Strategic onboarding initiatives emails (e.g., baseline cleanups).

Note: NSSP sends system updates and announcements to all account users.

Account Details

The Account Details section of the user profile provides information about creation and subsequent
modification of the user account.

 Created By—The site administrator who created the displayed user account.
 Created Date—The date the user account was created.
 Last Modified By—The last user to have modified the displayed user account. This could be a site

administrator or the user.

 Last Modified Date—The date the user account was last modified.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 13

[This page intentionally left blank]

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 14

Figure 10. Build New Rule or View and Edit an Existing One

5. Data Access Rules

5.1 Create a Data Access Rule

Creating a data access rule for a user or site administrator in another site is the preferred method for sharing
data between public health jurisdictions. Providing a user ID in your site for a user in another state can create
maintenance issues over time.

Within AMC, the Data Access tab is only available to site administrators. As a site administrator, you may use
this tab to create, review, and edit rules that control access to your site’s data (Figure 10). Note the red arrows
pointing to the Build New Data Access Rule and View/Edit buttons.

Data access rules can be applied to user accounts across NSSP–ESSENCE. You may create rules to grant data
access to analysts and epidemiologists who work at your site, another site, or at CDC.

Note that the Date/Time column shows the date the rule was created or last modified, and the Access Limit
column is populated if a Data Access Time Limitation was defined.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 15

Figure 11. Name Your Rule and Add a Short Description

Figure 12. Predefined Time Range

5.1.1 Rule Name and Description

Name your rule and enter a description (Figure 11). This will help you find your rule later.

5.1.2 Data Access Time Limitation

This functionality allows the site administrator to give data access to a user or user group for a specified amount
of time or between certain dates. For example, you may grant access to your site’s data for a week, six months,
or a year from the dropdown list (Figure 12), or you can enter a custom date range during which they will have
access to the dataset defined by the data access rule.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 16

Figure 14. Expand Users or Groups

Figure 13. Date-specified Time Range

To enter a custom data access period, manually enter the start (From:) and end (To:) dates in the fields as shown
in Figure 13. Note that a pop-up calendar is displayed when you select each field and you may select dates
directly from the calendar.

When the current date falls outside the specified date range, the data access rule will automatically be
suspended.

5.1.3 Select Users or User Groups

When selecting Users or User Groups (explained below), click the large blue plus sign (+) to expand the Users or

User Group sections (Figure 14).

Data should be shared with purpose. Carefully consider who needs data access and should be included in the
Data Access Rule. Keep in mind that any user selected here (Figure 15) will receive access to the data source(s)
you specify in the next step. You may designate individual users and groups of users.

Note that there can be site-defined user groups (public or private) and NSSP user groups to choose from.

Users and User Groups are listed by site. Both sites and their subsections are each sorted alphabetically.

You may use the fields directly below “Select Individual Users” and “Select a User Group” headings to filter the
“Available” lists. When searching for the Last Name or First Name of a user, results can have characters that you
enter appearing in any contiguous location within the name (e.g., “an” will find Anderson and Stedman, but not
Madden). Click on your choice in the “Available” pick boxes (or use Ctrl-Click for multiple choices within a pick

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 17

Figure 16. Selecting Users from "Available" Pick Box

Figure 15. Data Access Page (Rule Characteristics—Select Users and Groups)

box. This will highlight each choice (Figure 15). Note: Site-defined user groups must be created before adding to
a data access rule.

After highlighting users and groups in the “Available” boxes, click the “right” Arrow button (>) shown between
the pick boxes to move them to the “Selected” boxes (Figure 16). You may select more than one individual or
group to add (>) from the “Available” pick box or to move them back (<) from “Selected” to “Available.”

You may change the selected users or groups at any time.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 18

Figure 17. Data Access Page—(Select Data)
Figure 18. Data Access Page (Grant Access to All Data Sources)

5.1.4 Selecting Data Sources

Next, select the data source(s) you want included in the Data Access Rule (Figure 17). Be mindful that you can
only control access to your site’s data. You may grant users access to all your data sources or to individual data
sources. You may also restrict users from accessing your site’s data by facility or by state and county.

5.1.5 Access to All Data Sources

Site administrators have the option to grant access to all data sources (Figure 18) in a single step. Do this by
clicking the Grant access to all data sources radio button. Once selected, you must choose the Data details or
the No data details data layer.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 19

Figure 19. Data Access Page (Grant Access to Individual Data Sources)

What is the difference between “Data details” and “No data details”?

By selecting “No data details,” affected users can only view high-level data in ESSENCE via charts, graphs,
and maps. However, the user will not have access to line-level data. For example, when running a query
against a data source where “No data details” was selected, a user can view the time series graph but
cannot click the graph to view patient information.

5.1.6 Access to Individual Data Sources

Site administrators have the option to grant access to an individual data source or to multiple data sources. To
grant access to individual data sources, click the Grant Access to Individual Data Sources radio button and then
click the checkbox next to the data source (Figure 19). This will expand the data source and let you select the
data layer and apply optional data restrictions.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 20

Source of Data

Date Checked in ESSENCE (Date Type)

Patient Location and Visit

Date of Visit

Facility Location and Visit

Date of Visit

Clinical Laboratories

Earlier date between Lab Order Date and Results Date

Mortality

Death Date

Facility Syndrome Alert List

Date of Visit

Data Quality

Date of Visit

Time of Arrival Alert List

Date of Visit

Data Source Definitions

 Patient Location and Visit (Full Details)—Provides access to data based on where the patient lives. A

user granted Data details access to this data source may view a complete list of patient details for all
patients visiting your site’s facilities. Restrictions made after selecting the dataset (e.g., by facility,
state, county, or syndrome) will be applied based on the location of the patient. If the No data details
radio button is selected, a restricted view is provided.

 Facility Location and Visit (Full Details)—Provides access to data based on the facility (e.g.,

emergency department) location where a patient sought treatment. A user granted Data details
access to this data source may view a complete list of patient details for all facilities located in the
corresponding site. Restrictions made after selecting the dataset will be applied based on the location

of the facility. If the No data details radio button is selected, a restricted view is provided.

 Facility Syndrome Alert List—Provides access to public health event alerts by facility or syndrome for

the corresponding site. A site administrator may control the alerts based on the location of the facility.

 Time of Arrival Alert List—Provides access to public health event alerts by time of arrival for the

corresponding site. A site administrator may control the alerts based on the facility location.

 Data Quality (Facility Location)—Provides access to multiple data quality metrics, including

completeness of data (by variable, by location, etc.), whether data are mapped to known values, and
status of data processing by facility.

 Clinical Laboratory Data—Provides access to laboratory orders and results for patients who live

within a state (Patient State) and county (Patient County), as well as data collected from providers
within the state (Provider State). Since all sites in multi-site states have access to the laboratory data
collected by providers within that state, each site may grant access to all data for the state by creating
a where clause using Provider State. Provider data cannot be limited below the state level.

 Mortality Data—This data source provides access to mortality data from each state’s Office of Vital

Statistics or equivalent. It is organized by state and county. Any site within a state will be able to grant
access to all mortality data recorded for deaths in that state.

5.1.7 Data Access Timeframe Restriction

Access can be granted to data in your site for records from a certain timeframe based on the source of the data.
Below is a list of sources and the dates in ESSENCE used to specify the records to be included within the
timeframe.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 21

Figure 20. Setting up a Data Access Timeframe Restriction for a Data Source

The timeframe can be open or closed. For example, you may manually enter the start date (Timeframe-From),
but no end date to allow ESSENCE to select all records from that date forward or only enter an end date
(Timeframe-To) without a start date to constrain the selection to all records up to that date.

To select a closed timeframe option, enter two clauses, Timeframe-From and Timeframe-To dates. This is used
to initiate a search for all records with a date within that range. That is, ESSENCE will only show records with
dates within that timeframe. The dates will be selected using the date type noted in the table above.

Please note that, when entering both start and end dates, the end date should be the same as or later than the
start date. If not, the dates will automatically be changed to be the same.

When entering dates manually, use this format: mm-dd-yyyy.

The data access timeframe restriction (Figure 20) can be chosen after you have selected a particular data source.

When you click into the From or To fields, a pop-up calendar is displayed.

5.1.8 Restrict Data by Facility or Location

Once the data source and data layer are selected, site administrators can optionally restrict the data source by
Facility or Location (state or county) (Figure 21). To apply these optional restrictions, select Facility or Location
(state or county). Then use the pick boxes to select the desired facilities or locations. Once the data source and
data layer are restricted, click the Add Clause button. You can review your rule’s selected data on the “Review &
Submit Rule” page (Section 5.2).

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 22

Figure 21. Data Access Page (Grant Access to Individual Data Sources)

5.1.9 Access to Multiple Data Sources

To add additional data sources (Figure 22), click the checkbox next to the data source. This will expand the data
source and let you select the data layer and apply optional data restrictions.

How many clauses may I add, and how do I remove a clause?

For Patient Location and Visit (Full Details) and Facility Location and Visit (Full Details) data sources, site
administrators may add up to six (6) clauses when Data details is selected—State, County, Facility, CC and
DD Category, Syndrome, Chief Complaint Sub Category, Timeframe-From Date, and Timeframe-To Date.

For No data details and other data sources, up to five (5) clauses may be specified—one for State, County,
Facility, Timeframe-From Date, and Timeframe-To Date.

Note: When you select multiple clauses in a rule, all clauses must be satisfied for a record to be chosen, so
selecting County and Syndrome, for example, creates an AND restriction,

e.g., WHERE County=my_cty AND Syndrome=ILI

To remove a clause, click the Remove Clause button under that Data Restriction’s pick box.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 23

Figure 22. Data Access Page (Grant Access to Individual Data Sources)

After all selections have been made, click the Next button. Note: You may click the Save Draft button to save
your work and return later.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 24

Figure 23. Data Access—Building the WHERE Clause

5.1.10 Selecting Syndromic Restrictions

Syndromic restrictions can be applied to users or user groups by choosing “Grant access to individual data
sources” and either Patient Location and Visit (Full Details) or Facility Location and Visit (Full Details) with “Data
details.” These restrictions are applied by selecting CC and DD Category, Syndrome, and Chief Complaint Sub
Syndrome for the WHERE clauses.

Both “Data details” and “No data details” selections continue to provide restriction by State, County, and
Facility, but CC and DD Category, Syndrome, and Chief Complaint Sub Syndrome are only available if “Data
Details” is selected.

As seen in Figure 23, when you choose (1) “Grant access to individual data sources” and select (2) “Data details,”
then (3) click the Grant Access to data where dropdown list, the additional syndromic selections are displayed:

 State
 County
 Facility
 CC and DD Category
 Syndrome
 Chief Complaint Sub Syndrome
 Timeframe-From Date
 Timeframe-To Date

This allows up to eight (8) restricting clauses to be specified.

State, Facility, and County values may include multiple selections. To include multiple selections, use Ctrl-Click or
Shift-Click to highlight those values needed or add them sequentially by selecting each one individually and

clicking the arrow (

>) to add them.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 25

Figure 24. Data Access Rule—Only One Selection Message

When adding a CC and DD Category, Syndrome, or Chief Complaint Sub Syndrome, only one value may be
chosen for each WHERE clause. Note that a warning message in red will be displayed at the bottom of the page
stating, “Only one selection is possible for this clause.” (Figure 24).

5.1.11 Selecting Clinical Laboratory Data

Clinical lab data source data sharing capabilities have been added to the AMC. Users and site administrators may
access clinical lab data for patients who live within a state (Patient State or County) and clinical lab data
collected within the state (Provider State).

The following applies to site administrators and administrators with operational access (super administrators).
These administrators are now able to:

 Create data access rules in AMC for Clinical Laboratory Data that include WHERE clauses for Patient

State, Patient County, and Provider State.

 Edit an existing rule to:

o Add states and counties to be included in a data access rule.
o Remove clauses (e.g., if access is granted to data where Patient County = B, the site

administrator or a super administrator can remove the clause that states "WHERE Patient
County = B").

 Access ESSENCE and query the lab data specified in applicable data access rules including line-level data,

if access to data details was granted.

Figure 25 provides an example of creating a new Clinical Laboratory Data rule.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 26

Figure 25. Data Access Build New Rule—Share Clinical Lab Data for Patients
from a Neighboring State

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 27

Figure 26. Add New Data Access Rule for Mortality Data

5.1.12 Selecting Mortality Data

The BioSense Platform receives electronic mortality data from several states. These data will enable more timely
and robust analysis and response to public health events. Once received, mortality data can be integrated with
illness, injury, and other health-related data, offering public health departments the opportunity for enhanced
surveillance.

Where available, super administrators and site administrators can now grant access to state mortality data.
Access is limited by state and county. Figure 26 below illustrates the clauses used to provide access to select
users in a bordering state with access to mortality data recorded in counties bordering the two states.

When granted access, users may view time series reports in ESSENCE. When provided access to data details,
these users may also view detailed information from the mortality records in the specified areas.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 28

5.2 Review and Submit the Rule

Once you name your rule and select users and data, you’re ready to submit and implement your Data Access
Rule. First, confirm that your selections are as expected. If you need to make changes, use the Back/Edit button
to return to the Edit Rule page. Next, select the appropriate status for your rule (note that the default status
value is “Draft”):

Data Access Rule Status

Each status provides the current state of the rule and indicates if the rule is
being used in ESSENCE.

 Draft: This is the initial status when you first create a rule in

AMC. At this point, it has not been sent to ESSENCE. If you
change its status to Active and submit it, it will be sent to and
activated in ESSENCE. This will affect the user(s) and groups
that you included in the rule.

 Active: This indicates that the rule has been submitted to

ESSENCE and is being used to filter ESSENCE data based on the
rule’s parameters.

 Delete: If you change a rule status to Delete and submit the

change, the rule will be deleted from the AMC and ESSENCE,
and the rule will no longer be available.

 Suspend: Suspending a rule removes it from ESSENCE but does

not delete it from AMC. Functionally, it has the same effect as
setting a rule back to Draft. However, Suspend can be used to
indicate that the rule was once an Active rule in the system.

Note: Changing the status from Active to Draft will have the same result as
changing it from Active to Suspend in that the rule will be removed from
ESSENCE and will remain in the AMC. It can be activated from either the Draft
or Suspend state.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 29

Figure 27. Data Access Page (Review and Submit Rule)

When you’re done, click the Submit button (Figure 27). You’ll be returned to the Data Access tab.

After submitting a rule, check with the users or a person within a group of users (if the rule has been created for
a group) to find out if they can view the expected data. If they cannot, check the Rule Status. The rule must be
Active to be operational in ESSENCE. A rule in Draft or Suspend status are not active in ESSENCE.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 30

Figure 28. Data Access Page (Editing Rules)

6. Edit a Rule

6.1 Select a Rule to Edit

On the Data Access tab, View and modify existing Data Access Rules section, click the View/Edit button beside
the rule you want to edit (Figure 28).

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 31

Figure 29. DATA ACCESS > Edit Rule Page

6.2 Modify Rule Characteristics and Save

After you click View/Edit, you’ll be directed to the DATA ACCESS > Edit Rule page (Figure 29) where you will click
the Back/Edit button to modify the rule.

The Back/Edit button will take you to the “Edit Rule” section on the Rule Characteristics page. There you can
change the rule name and description; add or delete users and groups; and add, delete, or modify data sources.
You can also use the “Rule Status” drop-down menu to change a rule’s status (e.g., from Active to Draft).

In addition, the rule can be deleted entirely by clicking on the X in the Delete column.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 32

Figure 30. Data Source Details

On this page, you can also modify or delete WHERE clauses. To do this, first expand the Data Source that the

WHERE clause is associated with by clicking on the blue plus sign (

displayed (Figure 30).

+) next to it. The Data Sources details will be

Here, values from the Available pick list may be added to or Selected values may be removed from the WHERE
clause. After changes are completed, click the Update Clause button.

You may completely delete this WHERE clause by clicking the Delete Clause button.

When you finish modifying your Data Access Rule, click the Next or the Save/Submit button.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 33

6.3 Stop Using a Rule

There are two options when you want to stop using a rule. You may suspend it, which deactivates it but keeps it
in the system, or you may delete it, which completely removes it.

6.3.1 How to Suspend or Deactivate a Rule

Follow these steps to suspend or deactivate a rule:

1. Select the rule from the Data Access tab and click View/Edit.

2. In the Status drop-down menu, change the value to “Suspend.”

3. Click Submit.

6.3.2 How to Delete a Rule

Follow these steps to completely remove a rule:

1. Select the rule from the Data Access tab and click View/Edit.

2. In the Status drop-down menu, change the value to “Delete.”

3. Click Submit.

If you have a rule containing multiple data sources and need to delete an individual data source from that rule,
use the X button in the Delete column on the Data Access > Edit Rule page (Figure 31).

Figure 31. Deleting a Rule for a Single Data Source

Note: If a rule is suspended, the rule will be removed from the user account(s) in ESSENCE. However, the AMC
will preserve the Data Access Rule with a status of “Suspend,” and you may reactivate it later.

If a rule is deleted in the AMC, it will be removed from both AMC and ESSENCE.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 34

Figure 33. A Site Shares “Facility Location and Visit (Full Details)” Data for a Specific County

Figure 34. A Site Shares “Facility Location and Visit (Full Details)” Data for a Specific Facility

Figure 32. A Site Shares "Facility Location and Visit (Full Details)" Data for All Facilities

7. Examples of AMC Data Access Rules

The AMC uses rules to control access to ESSENCE data sources, most of which have two access controls: facility
location and patient location. Shown below (Figures 32–37) are some typical ways in which rules govern data
being shared.

7.1 Facility Location Examples

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 35

Figure 37. A Site Shares “Patient Location and Visit (Full Details)” Data for Facilities 333, 555, and 666 Where the Patient Lives in
Figure 36. A Site Shares “Patient Location and Visit (Full Details)” Data Where the Patient Lives in a Specific County (based on

Figure 35. A Site Shares “Patient Location and Visit (Full Details)” with Data Details for Your Site

7.2 Patient Location Examples

patient ZIP code)

State “State_Name”

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 36

Figure 38. Select State for the First WHERE Clause

Figure 39. Select your State from Available Pick List

7.3 Sharing County Data with a User in Another State

When data are reported for a patient who resides in another state, those data cannot be viewed by the patient’s
home state health authorities unless a Data Access Rule is set up to enable data sharing between sites.

For example, a New Hampshire resident who lives in a county bordering Maine is visiting in Maine when an
event occurs requiring a visit to a local (Maine) emergency department. This event and others like it may be of
interest to New Hampshire state health authorities, but for them to see data for events like this, the Maine site
administrator must create a Data Access Rule to share these data.

Below are the steps that the Maine site administrator can take to create a rule to share Patient Location data
with New Hampshire:

1. Log in to AMC and select the “Data Access” tab.

2. Click the Build New Data Access Rule button.

3. Name the rule and enter a short description.

4. In the “Search for and Select Users or Groups to include in this Data Access Rule” section, click the blue

plus sign (

sign (

5. Scroll down or use the filter field(s) above the pick list to locate the individual(s) or group(s) in New

Hampshire. Highlight those you want to allow to access the data and use the greater than symbol (>) to
move them to the Selected list. Note: Your state (site) will be preselected under the “Select data to
include in the data access rule” section.

+) to expand the “Select Individual Users” pick list or, if you want to choose a group, the plus

+) by “Select a Group” to see the Groups pick list.

6. Check the Grant access to individual data sources radio button.

7. Click on the checkbox next to the “Patient Location and Visit (Full Access)” source.

8. Next, choose Data details or No data details radio button for the level of access.

9. In the “(Optional) Restrict Data by Facility and/or Location” section, choose the “(Clause 1) Grant Access

to data where” dropdown and select State (Figure 38).

When you select State, the State pick list is displayed (Figure 39):

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 37

Figure 40. Select the Second Clause to Filter by County or Counties

Figure 41. Chosen Counties Moved to Selected Pick List

10. Using the “Available” pick list or using the “State” search field above it, highlight the state (site) for

which you want to share patient data (New Hampshire) and, using the greater than symbol (>), move
the state abbreviation (NH) to the “Selected” list, then click the Add Clause button. When you do, you
will be given an input dropdown for a second WHERE clause (Figure 40).

11. If you want to limit the counties they can access, then use “Clause 2” and select “County” from the input

dropdown. This will display all the counties in New Hampshire (the state for which you want to share
data). They will be displayed in the “Available” pick list. Highlight the counties for which you want to
grant data access, and then use the greater than symbol (>) to move them to the “Selected” pick list
(Figure 41).

12. Once you have moved these counties to the “Selected” pick list, click the Add Clause button. This will

create the WHERE Clause to grant the data access (e.g., Where State = NH AND County = NH_Carroll ,

NH_Cheshire, NH_Coos). This rule should be saved by using the Save Draft, Next, or Save/Submit

button.

13. When satisfied, set the rule to Active and click the Submit button. The user or users in New Hampshire

will be able to view the data based on the source and data level in the county or counties you selected.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 38

Do’s and Don’ts of Data Sharing Rules in the AMC

Figure 42. Data Access Page (Review & Submit Rule)

Step 4: Review and Save the Rule

1. You can share data with other users in your site and restrict by a patient’s location using the
“By Patient Location” data sources.

2. When sharing data with users outside your site, we recommend you do not share by patient
location because ESSENCE will consolidate that rule with other patient location access controls,
and you might share more than intended (for details, see section titled Translate AMC Data
Access Rules to ESSENCE).

Once you name your rule and select users and data, you’re ready to save and implement your Data Access Rule
(Figure 42).

First, confirm that your selections are as expected. Use the edit buttons to modify the information displayed.
Next, select the appropriate status for your rule (note that the default status value is “draft”):

 Active = rule will be saved and applied.
 Draft = rule will be saved but not applied (Draft Status).
 Suspend = rule will be saved but not applied.

When you’re done, click Submit. You’ll be returned to the Data Access tab.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 39

Figure 43. Data Access Page (Editing Rules)

7.4 Example of Editing a Rule

Step 1: Select a Rule

On the Data Access tab under View/Edit, click the View/Edit button beside the rule you want to edit (Figure 43).

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 40

Figure 44. Editing Rules (Review & Save)

Step 2: Modify Rule Characteristics and Save

After you click View/Edit, you’ll be directed to the Review & Save page (Figure 44). Use the “Edit” buttons to
change rule information, users, or data. You can also use the status drop-down menu to change a rule’s status.
When you finish modifying your Data Access Rule, click Submit.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 41

Data source

(ESSENCE Variable Name)

Share all of the data from my site

;SiteID;

* * ;va_e54esrdfxfr_hosp;

*

For patients that live anywhere (but

* * *

;va_er;

*
All data from site Y

;SiteY ID;

All

All

;va_er_hosp;

All

For patients that live anywhere (but

All

All

All

;va_er;

All
All data from site X

;SiteX ID;

All

All

;va_er_hosp;

All

For patients that live in Alaska (but

All

Alaska

All

;va_er;

All

Data source

(ESSENCE Variable Name)

All data from these sites

;SiteX ID;
SiteY ID;

All

All

;va_er_hosp;

All

For patients that live in Alaska

All

All

All

;va_er;

All

7.5 Translate AMC Data Access Rules to ESSENCE

The AMC uses rules to control access to ESSENCE data sources. Most ESSENCE data sources have two access
controls: Patient Location and Facility Location.

Suppose you want to share the “Patient Location (Full Details)” data source for your site. You can use the AMC
to create a Data Access Rule to share all your site’s data for the “Patient Location (Full Details)” data source. The
AMC will translate these selections into ESSENCE as demonstrated in the table below.

I want to… Site State County

were seen in my site)

ESSENCE manages data access for each user account by consolidating all data selected in rules that include that
user and assigns the highest level of access for any given data source.

Suppose you want to share data from your site, Site X (where the patient lives in Alaska), with another user,
John Doe. John already has access to all data by patient location for a different site, Site Y. His current data
access at Site Y would be as follows:

John Doe can access… Site State County

were seen in site Y)

Your rule in the AMC to share your site’s data by patient location of Alaska would be as demonstrated below:

Data source

(ESSENCE Variable Name)

Facility

Facility

Your rule grants access to… Site State County

were seen in site X)

If you include John in your rule, he will be able to access all your site’s data because ESSENCE combines data
access and defaults to the highest permission available for the “Patient Location (Full Details)” data source.
John’s combined data access would be:

John’s access after the rule… Site State County

Alaska

Data source

(ESSENCE Variable Name)

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 42

Facility

Facility

Figure 45. User Groups Page—View/Edit My Site User Groups—View Public User Groups

Figure 46. User Group Description and Information

8. User Groups

The User Groups tab is only available to site administrators (Figure 45). User groups are a convenient way to add
multiple users to data access rules instead of adding individual users one-by-one. Site administrators may create
any number of public or private user groups. Public user groups are viewable and usable by other site’s
administrators to add to their data access rules. Private user groups are only viewable and usable by that site’s
administrators. Once a user group is created, that user group will be assignable to data access rules.

8.1 Create a New User Group

Step 1: Select User Group Characteristics

Click the Add New User Group button on the main User Groups page. Enter the user group’s characteristics
(Figure 46). Create a unique name for the user group, add a description, and select a type (public or private) for
the group. Provide enough detail so that you can quickly distinguish user groups from each other. Note that Site
will show the logged-in user’s site and cannot be changed.

Group Types: There are currently two types of groups:

 Public—All users who are authorized to manage

user groups (typically site administrators) can see
the group. Since this will be listed in the All Public
User Groups table on the main User Groups page,
consider including your site abbreviation or short
name in the name. Note: The All Public User
Groups table displays all public groups in the
system, not just your site.

 Private—Only users (site administrators) who are

associated with the site that owns and controls
the group will see the user group.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 43

Figure 47. User Groups Page (View & Select Users)

Step 2: Select Users

Click the Add/Edit User button to add users to the group (Figure 47). At least one user is required to submit the
group. Remember that any users selected here will receive access to the data you specify when you create your
data access rules. Use the filters to locate users to add to the group. Adding users is simplified with one click of
the “Add” button next to the user’s name. When you’ve completed adding users, click the Submit button to
save the group. Now, your group is active.

8.2 Edit a User Group

Site administrators may edit the site-specific user groups they create. Examples include changing the group
name, changing the group to public or private, and adding or removing group members. The site administrator
may also delete a group that is no longer needed.

Once a user group is associated with a data access rule, the site administrator may delete or add users without
affecting other members of the group. The remaining members of the user group will always maintain their
association with the user group’s previously assigned data rules.

Members of the user group cannot view ESSENCE syndromic surveillance data UNLESS the group has, at least,
one data access rule or has data access rules associated with their user ID or are members of other groups with
data access rules.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 44

Figure 48. Master Facility Table (MFT) Page

>MFT QUICK START GUIDE

Figure 49. When Facility Status is Changed to Inactive, the Reason for Inactivation Dropdown List Becomes Available

9. Master Facility Table

The Master Facility Table (MFT) resides within the AMC and provides an interface for site administrators and the
NSSP onboarding staff to use throughout the multistage onboarding process. For in-depth instructions, the
BioSense Platform Quick Start Guide to Using the Master Facility Table can be accessed by clicking the button in
the upper right-hand corner of the MFT tab (Figure 48).

9.1 Facility Inactivation Reason and Date

The options for making facilities inactive have been standardized by adding dropdown lists for Reason For
Inactivation and the Date Inactivated fields (Figure 49). In the past, this was handled with informal notes in the
Facility Status section on the MFT Review page. The standardized inactivation reasons are as follows:

 Closed
 Merged
 90-day Inactive
 Temporary
 Voluntary

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 45

U.S Territory

State Abbreviation

American Samoa

AS

Guam

GU

Northern Mariana Islands

MP

Puerto Rico

PR

U.S. Virgin Islands

VI

Notes:

1. The Reason For Inactivation and the Date Inactivated fields are unavailable until the Facility Status field is set

to Inactive.

2. Both the Reason For Inactivation and the Date Inactivated fields become active and are required when the

Facility Status is set to Inactive.

3. You may review an old MFT record that is already in an Inactive status; but if you attempt to save it, you will

be required to provide the inactivation reason and date. You may click Cancel, in which case, no further
action will be required.

9.2 Facilities in U.S. Territories

Facilities in the U.S. Territories can now be added to the Master Facility Table. American Samoa, Guam,
Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are now available in the “State” dropdown
list.

Here are the territories with their “State” abbreviations:

Table 1. U.S. Territory State Abbreviations

Once the State field is populated, the County dropdown will provide applicable counties that can be selected.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 46

Figure 50. Data Access Reports Page

10. Reports

The Reports tab (Figure 50) is only available to site administrators. This tab provides a table of all the data
access rules that affect the site’s users, as well as users from other sites who have been granted access. The tab
displays the rule name and site, the user ID and name of the user granted access and his or her site, the data
source the rule affects, whether data details are available to the user, and any applicable access restrictions
(i.e., “WHERE” clauses) included in each rule.

Rules affecting the site that have been created by NSSP are also listed. Note that it can take up to a minute or
more for this tab to fully load. Please be patient.

The Reports tab includes filters for the following report columns:

 Rule Site—Allows site administrators to select only their own site to filter

out Operational Access and NSSP rules

 Rule Name—Selects results when a rule name is entered *
 User Site—Selects the site whose user(s) have been granted access
 User Name—Selects a user ID to see the access the user is allowed *
 Data Source—Selects a single Data Source

* The “Name” fields invoke a dynamic pattern matching search so that you can find occurrences of the

characters you type anywhere within the name field. For example: If some User Name fields contain “abudy09
(Alicia Budy)” and others are for “awend01 (Alice Wend)” and you enter “alic” in the User Name search field, all
rules for both these users will be displayed.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 47

Figure 51. Data Access Reports Page—Generate Report

Also note that the report can be filtered by User Status (Active or Inactive). This allows site administrators to
filter out rules granting access to inactive users, or to view only inactive users.

A full report is available for download to a CSV file. The file contains all Operational Access and NSSP rules for
the BioSense Platform as well as all rules that grant access to your site’s data sources. This file can easily be
viewed in Excel or another spreadsheet application.

The “Generate Report” button in the lower left of the Reports tab page (Figure 51) has a Site selection
dropdown list so you can select a report with just your site’s rules. By leaving the Site field blank, all rules
including the Operational Access and NSSP rules will be in the report.

If desired, select the short name abbreviation for your site as a filter (Default [blank] selects all rules), then click
the Generate Report button. After a few moments, the “Download/Open Report” button will be displayed
(Figure 51). Once you click the Download/Open Report button, the report (in CSV format) will be downloaded to
your Download folder. You may open it directly from your browser by clicking on the downloaded file button at
the bottom left, or you may directly access the file in your Download folder using Windows.

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 48

11. Commonly Performed AMC Activities

These are common examples of activities that can be performed to check and view your data. This is not an
exhaustive list of activities.

11.1 Site Administrators

1. Log in with provided credentials.
a. Accept the Site Administrator Code of Conduct.
b. Change user password.

2. View and edit user profile information.

3. Create a user in their site.

4. Create a user group for their site.

5. View existing users within their site.

6. Edit users within their site.

7. Create public or private user groups. Public user groups may be used by any site administrator with

access to AMC. Private user groups can only be used in the site where they were created.

8. Create Data Access Rules for individual users, public user groups, and private user groups that they

have created in their site. Site administrators may also grant access to users from other sites.
When creating Data Access Rules, we recommend that you confirm with the user that the Data
Access Rule results in the desired permissions in ESSENCE.

11.2 Users

1. In the My Info section, users can:

2. In the NSSP Applications section, users can link directly to:

Note: Access depends on user profile setup and specific login privileges.

3. In NSSP Resources, users can link to:

a. Accept the Code of Conduct.
b. Change their passwords.
c. View and edit their profile information.

a. ESSENCE
b. RStudio Pro (SQL Query)
c. SAS Studio
d. Data Quality Dashboards

a. Service Desk
b. NSSP Technical Resource Center
c. NSSP Community of Practice Website
d. Data Dictionary and Data Flow Requirements

BioSense Platform User Manual for the AMC | 49