In this system, the public health division functions as an electronic hub to accept, route and process electronic HL7 messages containing lab and clinical data.

Historically, communicable disease reporting to state and county health departments has been largely paper-based, relying heavily upon procedures such as FAX, telephone and mail. However, today's sophisticated laboratory information systems bring an opportunity to move toward electronic laboratory reporting.

In this system, the public health division serves a new role, functioning as an electronic hub to accept, route, and process HL7 messages containing lab and clinical data.

The essential roles of all partners remain unchanged. This is purely a routing process change. The data transfer to the county level will be virtually immediate, and the county health department will continue to perform its current investigative and other responses.