Disease surveillance
Disease surveillance is an ongoing process that involves the systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of information regarding the occurrence of diseases in defined populations for public health action to reduce morbidity and mortality (Science Direct, n.d.).
What are the types of Surveillance Systems
Surveillance is the process or system for tracking cases of risk factors, medical conditions, disease cases, adverse events, etc. It's often used to track incidence of a disease or side effects from drugs or vaccines. The two basic types of surveillance are active and passive.Passive surveillance is collection of data from those voluntarily reporting it, such as hospitals, health care providers, parents or health departments. Active surveillance involves actively looking for cases either with a reporting system or using a systematic protocol, such as calling every health department in a region during a disease outbreak (Association of healthcare journalists, 2023). Sentinel surveillance is a way of monitoring a specific illness in a population. In a syndromic surveillance information such as symptoms are gathered from patients in the early stages to be monitored.
What does the investigation entail
The investigation entails defining the severity of the illness, monitoring patterns of occurrence, identifying the source, and if there is an outbreak.
How does the public health expert determine appropriate interventions and protection following the investigation
Sample Solution
Passive Surveillance:
- Relies on healthcare providers to report cases voluntarily.
- Often used for tracking common diseases or adverse events.
- Can be limited by underreporting.
Active Surveillance:
- Involves actively seeking out cases using a systematic protocol or reporting system.
- Used for tracking outbreaks or rare diseases.
- More likely to capture all cases.
Full Answer Section
Sentinel Surveillance:- Focuses on a specific population or group of healthcare providers to monitor disease incidence.
- Used for tracking specific diseases or conditions.
- Can provide early warning of outbreaks or changes in disease patterns.
- Collects information on symptoms from patients in the early stages of illness.
- Used to detect outbreaks or unusual patterns of disease.
- Can provide early warning of emerging threats.
- Defining the severity of the illness: Assessing the impact of the disease on individuals and communities.
- Monitoring patterns of occurrence: Identifying trends in disease incidence and distribution.
- Identifying the source: Determining the origin of the disease or outbreak.
- Determining the outbreak: Assessing whether there is an unusual increase in cases compared to expected levels.
- Case isolation: Separating infected individuals to prevent the spread of disease.
- Contact tracing: Identifying and monitoring individuals who have come into contact with infected persons.
- Vaccination: Implementing vaccination programs to prevent future outbreaks.
- Public health messaging: Providing information to the public about the disease, its symptoms, and prevention measures.
- Environmental interventions: Addressing underlying factors that contribute to the spread of disease, such as sanitation or vector control.