What is the PHES-ODM?

Data models are representations of real-world processes through data elements and relationships. The PHES-ODM is such a model for wastewater and environmental surveillance data.

Data tables and dictionary

At the core of a data model are data tables that represent real-world 'entities'. On the right is a diagram of the PHES-ODM data entities of environmental surveillance. The key data recorded in PHES-ODM is a measure, defined as a measurement or observation of any biological, physical or chemical substance. The coloured lines in the diagram represent how measures can be taken as a representation of a polygon or geographic area (blue line, e.g. a city population or weather condition), site (orange line, e.g. a wastewater treatment plant sewage flow rate), or sample (green line, e.g. SARS-CoV-2 PCR measurement).

Metadata

It is important to also record contextual information and metadata about the various entities (sites, polygons, samples, etc.). This model also records contact information, organizational information, address information, and other metadata, and links it to the relevant entities.