Proceedings of the 2007 Disease Surveillance Workshop. Disease Surveillance: Role of Public Health Informatics
2008
Methods for Collecting Data in Disease Surveillance Systems
publication
Author Information
Author(s): Sheryl Lewis Happel, Richard Wojcik
Primary Institution: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Conclusion
Surveillance systems can be successful if implementers and end users understand the limitations of both the data and the collection methodology.
Supporting Evidence
- Data are the cornerstone of any electronic disease surveillance system.
- Data sources must be evaluated thoroughly before inclusion in a surveillance system.
- Data does not need to be automated to provide high value as long as it is timely.
Takeaway
This study talks about how to collect data for tracking diseases, saying that understanding the data and how it's collected is really important for success.
Methodology
The discussion describes various methods for collecting data and common data feeds used in surveillance systems.
Limitations
Data sources may not be equally valuable in different locales, and privacy regulations can limit data sharing.
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