Google Chrome is the preferred browser for EpiSurv, but you should be able to use most platforms. Internet Explorer is no longer supported, but you can use Edge, Chrome, Firefox and Safari to login.

If something isn’t working as you expect, please first check the information available on our EpiSurv Help pages. If you are following the instructions and still have a problem, you can get in touch with CDR Support by emailing CDRSupport@esr.cri.nz or calling 0800 ESR CDR (377 237).

ESR holds some data in our retired database archives. If you need data prior to 1997, there is a possibility that we can help with this (although our records are minimal and difficult to access). Try sending your request to survqueries@esr.cri.nz and we will let you know if we can help.

ESR is contracted by the Ministry of Health to maintain the national surveillance database (EpiSurv) for New Zealand. ESR regularly reports data out of EpiSurv for the purposes of public health action. EpiSurv data can also be provided by official data request. Public reports can be found on the Public Health Surveillance website https://www.esr.cri.nz/expertise/public-health/

You will need to register a RealMe account (see www.realme.govt.nz) with ESR before you can access EpiSurv. CDR Support staff will send you an invitation email with instructions on how to register after your EpiSurv application has been received.

Sounds like your RealMe account has not been registered with ESR. Please email CDRSupport@esr.cri.nz and ask for a new RealMe token. Please note that tokens are only valid for 48 hours after issue.

Up to you. You are welcome to use an existing RealMe login to access EpiSurv, or you can create a new RealMe account linked to your organisation’s email.

Please check that you are able to log in at https://www.realme.govt.nz/ before contacting anyone. If you cannot log into the RealMe website, you will need to contact the RealMe 24/7 Helpline at 0800 664 774. If you can log into the RealMe website but cannot log into EpiSurv with the same details, please email CDRSupport@esr.cri.nz.

ESR will not lock you out of EpiSurv - this is your RealMe account. Contact the RealMe Helpdesk on 0800 664 774 for help changing your password or reactivating your RealMe account.

Please complete a new application form (the same one as when you first applied). Choose the appropriate form from the ‘Application Forms’ tile of the EpiSurv Help site (https://episurv.esr.cri.nz/help/application-forms/) , download it, sign and authorise it, and return a copy to CDRSupport@esr.cri.nz.

Yes, your account can be linked to multiple PHS offices. Please complete an application form from the ‘Application Forms’ tile of the EpiSurv Help site (https://episurv.esr.cri.nz/help/application-forms/) to request access and return it to CDRSupport@esr.cri.nz. Your form will need to be authorised by an employee of the PHS office you are applying for.

STI notifications are accessed through a separate ‘module’ in EpiSurv. Please complete an STI application form from the ‘Application Forms’ tile of the EpiSurv Help site (https://episurv.esr.cri.nz/help/application-forms/) to request access and return it to CDRSupport@esr.cri.nz.

You need to request permissions to see the Outbreaks and Reports modules (not assigned by default). We call these ‘Functionalities’. You can use the application forms in the ‘Application Forms’ tile on the EpiSurv Help site (https://episurv.esr.cri.nz/help/application-forms/) to apply for these functionality permissions.

No training environment is available for EpiSurv at the moment. This is something we hope to develop in future.

Help site ‘Help Resources’ tile https://episurv.esr.cri.nz/help/resources/formdocs/

On the EpiSurv Help home page (https://episurv.esr.cri.nz/help) you can find instructions for each disease CRF under the ‘CRF Instructions’ tile. Instruction documents, fieldname documents, and blank case report forms are also available on the EpiSurv Help Site (https://episurv.esr.cri.nz/help/resources/formdocs/ ).

From the home page of this website, select the tile reading ‘Help Resources’, then click Matching a disease to a CRF https://episurv.esr.cri.nz/help/resources/disease-list/. This will display a list mapping disease name to EpiSurv case report forms.

This is usually caused by discrepancies between data in the eNotification and the case report form. Check that the NHI, names, and disease types are the same in the CRF and in the eNotification. If the lab eNotification has incorrect details, you can edit it to correct them; click on the eNotification, select the small ‘pencil’ icon next to the Notification number (righthand side), and edit the incorrect field (don’t forget to click ‘save’). If editing the eNotification does not work, please contact CDRSupport@esr.cri.nz for help.

“The date of birth, NHI number, name spelling etc. in an eNotification may not exactly match what you have recorded in a case already notified. This does not mean that it is not the same person. The data is entered into ESR laboratories from paper forms sent by the diagnostic labs and transcription errors can and do occur. You will need to make a judgement call to determine if it is the same person. Note also that the detail is more likely to be correct in the original notification than in the ESR laboratory eNotification.

The ‘Reject’ action button on the eNotification List tab is there so that you can get rid of results for non-notifiable diseases if they mistakenly appear in EpiSurv (this should not happen often, but it is possible due to limitations of the required messaging specifications). It should not be used to get rid of negative results for notifiable diseases from ESR Laboratories.

If you have ‘delete’ permissions, you should see a ‘rubbish bin’ icon at the top-left side of the page when you click on a case. If you cannot see the bin, ask someone in your PHS with full access to delete the case for you. (If you need delete permissions yourself, contact CDRSupport@esr.cri.nz and we will let you know if any paperwork is required to update your access.

Contact CDRSupport@esr.cri.nz with as much detail as you can remember about the case record and the time you deleted it. We should be able to help you recover the case.

Because this is a reference result from ESR, it is likely that the case has already been created, because it should have been notified by the diagnostic lab and/or a health practitioner. If you do have a reference result without a diagnostic result, attach the eNotification from ESR then set the status of the case to ‘Not a case’. If a case for the person does not exist, process the eNotification and set the status of the newly created case to ‘Not a case’. This way, if a late notification does arrive from the diagnostic lab or GP, you will have the ESR negative result attached to the case.

The most current case definitions for all notifiable diseases can be found in the Health New Zealand CD Manual https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-health-professionals/clinical-guidance/communicable-disease-control-manual. Remember your PHS Medical Officers of Health will often be able to help with understanding the case definition and classifying a case.

This list is populated by previous ‘Officer Responsible’ entries for PHS office. To add a new one, simply type in the new name and save the form. Next time you want to enter that Officer Responsible, the name will pop up as a suggestion.

If you wish to remove a radio button selection from a case and outbreak form, you can do so by selecting the radio button you want to deselect, clicking Ctrl+Delete and saving the form.

Yes. These fields are found in the ‘Extra details’ tab for each case.

There are a couple of reasons this could happen. If you are looking at an existing case, the ‘save’ button may not be enabled because you have not made any edits. If you make an edit to the existing case, you should be able to save the change (so no problem). If you have just created a new case and cannot save it, the record in the application may be failing to join with the draft case in the database. If you cannot save a new case, please contact CDRSupport@esr.cri.nz for help.

To attach an eNotification to a case report form, the case and eNotification must have the same NHI. If a person has more than one valid NHI, pick one and edit the eNotification details so that it matches the NHI recorded in the CRF before attaching. You can record the second NHI in the comments section of the CRF or eNotification if you wish to keep a record.

No. You can enter an occupation that is not in the list. ESR will add the appropriate ANZSCO code behind the scenes.

‘Nec’ stands for ‘Not Elsewhere Classified’. This means that the more exact classification (given by the respondent) is not available, so you have to use a more general classification.  ‘Nfd’ stands for ‘Not Further Defined’. This means that although a more detailed classification may be available, the respondent has not provided further details, and a more general classification will be used.

ESR maintains reference lists of schools, early childhood centres, food premises, hospitals, long term care facilities, prisons, and GPs. If you want to report one of these locations in an outbreak form and cannot find the premises in the list, please contact CDRSupport@esr.cri.nz with the premises name and address. We will add it to the appropriate reference list.

Please see the instructions on our Help pages here: https://episurv.esr.cri.nz/help/reporting/. If you have read the instructions and have further questions about running reports, CDR Support staff can help you.

Yes, you can find the List of Standard Reports under the ‘Reports’ tile on the EpiSurv Help pages https://episurv.esr.cri.nz/help/reporting/list-of-reports/.

Custom reports created before the June 2020 update can no longer be edited. You will have to recreate the extract if it is older. New custom reports can be edited by clicking ’edit’ from the dropdown arrow next to the report’s name in the ‘Custom Reports list’.

These can be a bit tricky to find because new custom extracts and archived custom extracts go into different lists. To find a new extract you have created, go into the ‘Reports’ tab and click the grey ‘Custom’ tab below it. The left side panel will now list ‘Report Categories’ and ‘Report Groups’. Archived extracts (created before June 2020) will be found under the ‘Extracts’ report category and the ‘All’ report group. Your new extract (created since June 2020) will be saved under the ‘New Custom Extracts’ report category and the ‘My PHS Extracts’ report group. Select both report category and report group, then search for your new extract by name.

Email the report code and a description of the problem to CDRSupport@esr.cri.nz - we might be able to run the report for you. If possible, we will also ask our development team to fix it for future use.

MELAA is an abbreviation for “Middle Eastern/Latin American/African” ethnicities (a Stats NZ ethnicity category).

Urban/Rural classifications are statistical geography classifications developed by Statistics New Zealand. Details of the urban rural profile classification used prior to 2018 can be found here. The Urban Rural Indicator classification replaced the earlier urban rural profile in 2018.

EpiSurv uses the same definition as the Ministry of Health’s National Collections: healthcare users who receive assessment and/or treatment for three hours or more (excluding time in a waiting room and triage), or who have a general anaesthetic. This also applies to healthcare users of Emergency Departments. More detailed information is available in the National Collections glossary (https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-health-professionals/data-and-statistics/nz-health-statistics/data-references/#appendix-b-national-collections-glossary)