minor documentation updates

README.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # FluSight 2023-2024
-This repository is designed to collect forecast data for the 2023-2024 FluSight collaborative exercise run by the US CDC. This project collects forecasts for weekly new hospitalizations due to confirmed influenza.
+This repository is designed to collect forecast data for the 2023-2024 FluSight collaborative exercise run by the US CDC. This project collects forecasts for weekly new hospitalizations due to confirmed influenza. Anyone interested in using these data for additional research or publications is requested to contact flusight@cdc.gov for information regarding attribution of the source forecasts.'
 
 ## Nowcasts and Forecasts of Confirmed Influenza Hospitalizations Admissions During the 2023-2024 Influenza Season
 

target-data/README.md

@@ -25,16 +25,15 @@ Previously collected influenza data from the 2020-21 and the 2022-23 influenza s
 
 During the 2021-22 and 2022-23 influenza forecasting seasons, the dataset was updated daily based on data reported through the day prior. Therefore, datasets updated on Monday would include data reported through the immediately preceding Sunday, and this data snapshot would capture influenza hospital admissions that occurred through Saturday (see the data processing section for more information). As of June 11, 2023, the reporting cadence changed to weekly, so that qualifying facilities are required to report daily hospitalizations for the previous week to the [National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)](https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/index.html) on each Tuesday, as indicated in the [hospital reporting guidance](https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/covid-19-faqs-hospitals-hospital-laboratory-acute-care-facility-data-reporting.pdf). 
 
-**To be updated:** Preliminary aggregated counts are publicly released on Friday the same week, and official counts on the following Monday. Official counts can be revised in subsequent data updates.
-These data are also available in a facility-level dataset; data values less than 4 are suppressed in the [facility-level dataset](https://healthdata.gov/Hospital/COVID-19-Reported-Patient-Impact-and-Hospital-Capa/anag-cw7u). Additional historical influenza surveillance data from other surveillance systems are available at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluviewinteractive.htm. These data are updated every Friday at noon Eastern Time. The "cdcfluview" R package can be used to retrieve these data. Additional potential data sources are available in Carnegie Mellon University's Epidata API.
-
+Aggregated official counts are publicly released on Fridays. Official counts can be revised in subsequent data updates.
+These data are also available in a facility-level dataset; data values less than 4 are suppressed in the [facility-level dataset](https://healthdata.gov/Hospital/COVID-19-Reported-Patient-Impact-and-Hospital-Capa/anag-cw7u). 
 
 
 *Please note the following detail from the [dataset description](https://healthdata.gov/Hospital/COVID-19-Reported-Patient-Impact-and-Hospital-Capa/g62h-syeh)*: 
 
 "The file will be updated regularly and provides the latest values reported by each facility within the last four days for all time. This allows for a more comprehensive picture of the hospital utilization within a state by ensuring a hospital is represented, even if they miss a single day of reporting."  
 
-This implies that some values may be repeated. Extra caution should be applied in these cases and in particular for interpreting data for the current day, as hospitals report hospital admissions for the previous day (further detail below).
+This implies that some values may be repeated. Extra caution should be applied in these cases and in particular for interpreting data the most recent week of data, as hospitals report hospital admissions for the previous day (further detail below).
 
 
 Some of these data are also available programmatically through the [EpiData](https://cmu-delphi.github.io/delphi-epidata/) API. See accessing target (truth) data section below for details.
@@ -45,7 +44,7 @@ Other data sources
 
 Influenza hospitalization admissions data is also available in a [facility-level dataset](https://healthdata.gov/Hospital/COVID-19-Reported-Patient-Impact-and-Hospital-Capa/anag-cw7u); data values less than 4 are suppressed in the [facility-level dataset](https://healthdata.gov/Hospital/COVID-19-Reported-Patient-Impact-and-Hospital-Capa/anag-cw7u). 
 
-Percent of Emergency Department visits with a specified pathogen (COVID, Flu, RSV) out of all emergency department visits in a given epiweek are reported by the CDC National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) and provided in the [2023 Respiratory Virus Response - NSSP Emergency Department Visits dataset](https://data.cdc.gov/Public-Health-Surveillance/2023-Respiratory-Virus-Response-NSSP-Emergency-Dep/vutn-jzwm).  
+Percent of Emergency Department visits with a specified pathogen (COVID-19, Influenza, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus) out of all emergency department visits in a given epiweek are reported by the CDC National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) and provided in the [2023 Respiratory Virus Response - NSSP Emergency Department Visits dataset](https://data.cdc.gov/Public-Health-Surveillance/2023-Respiratory-Virus-Response-NSSP-Emergency-Dep/vutn-jzwm).  Weekly national-level Emergency Department Visits for these pathogens are available for download by age-group in this [landing page](https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/surveillance/respiratory-illnesses/index.html).   
 
 Additional historical influenza surveillance data from other surveillance systems are available at [https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluviewinteractive.htm](https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluviewinteractive.htm). These data are updated every Friday at noon Eastern Time. The "cdcfluview" R package can be used to retrieve these data. Additional potential data sources are available in Carnegie Mellon University's [Epidata API](https://delphi.cmu.edu/).