1623. Implementation of Electronic Readmission Alert for Discharged Patients Reduces Risk of Secondary Measles Exposure Events

BACKGROUND: Measles is a highly infectious illness that is causing increased numbers of outbreaks in the United States. Patients involved in a healthcare measles exposure and who have been discharged before identification of exposure are at risk of becoming infectious in the community, and may seek healthcare within their infectious window, creating a secondary exposure risk for healthcare systems. A measles exposure in an integrated healthcare system occurred, resulting in patient exposures in multiple locations at three campuses, including two community-based emergency departments and three inpatient units. There were 159 patients who were included in the exposure group; 123 were exposed in an ED, and 36 were exposed in an inpatient setting. Ninety-four percent (149/159) of the patients had been discharged at the time of measles case identification and were in the pre-infectious phase of illness. Of those, 36 percent (54/149) presented back to the healthcare system within the potentially infectious window; these 54 patients had 97 individual healthcare contacts in the potentially infectious period following the exposure event. Sixty-one of the 97 return visits (63%) were within the window in which the exposed patients were potentially infectious. Return locations included the three exposure facilities and inpatient and outpatient locations at 10 other system campuses. METHODS: An alert system was developed within the electronic medical record that identified patients that were involved in the exposure, and guided clinicians to mask and place in airborne isolation until measles immunity was verified. RESULTS: The alert activated 13 days after the exposure was identified, and identified 100% of returns to healthcare at all sites within the system, representing 48% of all potential secondary exposure events (29 /61). No secondary exposures or transmission occurred. CONCLUSION: Measles exposures are an enormous burden on healthcare organizations and public health systems. When exposures occur, healthcare organizations need systems to rapidly identify discharged patients who may return within the potentially infectious window. Rapid development of electronic readmission alerts can help standardize identification and reduce the risk of subsequent exposure. DISCLOSURES: All authors: No reported disclosures.