course hero in surveillance systems, what is simplicity?

Simplicity

Epidemiology is often described as the cornerstone science and public health and public health surveillance is a cornerstone of epidemiology. This course will help you build your technical awareness and skills for working with a variety of surveillance systems.

Skills You'll Learn

In this final module, we'll introduce you to various surveillance attributes we use to describe the performance of public health surveillance systems. While no surveillance systems is perfect, we need to be able to systematically evaluate the utility of the surveillance and compare surveillance systems.

What is the purpose of the epidemiologic surveillance system?

Its purpose is to promote the best use of public health resources through the development of effective and efficient surveillance systems. It can serve as a guide for persons conducting their first evaluation and as a reference for those who are already familiar with the evaluation process.

Why should surveillance systems be evaluated?

The evaluation of surveillance systems should promote the best use of public health resources by ensuring that only important problems are under surveillance and that surveillance systems operate efficiently.

What is epidemiologic surveillance?

Epidemiologic surveillance is the ongoing and systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data in the process of describing and monitoring a health event. This information is used for planning, implementing, and evaluating public health interventions and programs.

What is preventability in health?

Preventability can be defined at several levels--from preventing the occurrence of disease (primary prevention); through early detection and intervention with the aim of reversing, halting, or at least retarding the progress of a condition (secondary prevention); to minimizing the effects of disease and disability among those already ill (tertiary prevention). From the perspective of surveillance, preventability reflects the potential for effective public health intervention at any of these levels.

What is sensitivity in surveillance?

Federal and state legislative requirements for reporting. Sensitivity Definition. The sensitivity of a surveillance system can be considered on two levels. First, at the level of case reporting, the proportion of cases of a disease or health condition detected by the surveillance system can be evaluated.

What should be included in a surveillance evaluation?

Insofar as possible, the evaluation of surveillance systems should include recommendations for improving quality and efficiency , e.g., eliminating unnecessary duplication. Most importantly, an evaluation should assess whether a system is serving a useful public health function and is meeting the system's objectives.

What is the importance of public health?

Health events that affect many people or require large expenditures of resources clearly have public health importance. However, health events that affect relatively few persons may also be important, especially if the events cluster in time and place--e.g., a limited outbreak of a severe disease. At other times, public concerns may focus attention on a particular health event, creating or heightening the sense of importance. Diseases that are now rare because of successful control measures may be perceived as "unimportant," but their level of importance should be assessed in light of their potential to re-emerge. Finally, the public health importance of a health event is influenced by its preventability. Measures

About this Course

Epidemiology is often described as the cornerstone science and public health and public health surveillance is a cornerstone of epidemiology. This course will help you build your technical awareness and skills for working with a variety of surveillance systems.

Offered by

The mission of The Johns Hopkins University is to educate its students and cultivate their capacity for life-long learning, to foster independent and original research, and to bring the benefits of discovery to the world.

Surveillance as a Core Public Health Function

In the first module, we're going to review the history of public health surveillance and discuss its role in improving public health. Surveillance is one of the most basic ways that public health practitioners monitor the health and well-being of populations. Understanding how these data are used is essential.

Defining Surveillance Objectives

In this module, we'll discuss examples of surveillance objectives and the considerations that go into deciding what the objective should be and how this must be balanced with public health goals and available resources.

Surveillance Data Reporting Systems

In this module, we'll discuss what happens with data that are generated from public health surveillance. Recall that public health surveillance data are collected to spur public health action and decision-making. So we'll talk about how this reporting occurs.

Surveillance System Attributes and Assessing Performance

In this final module, we'll introduce you to various surveillance attributes we use to describe the performance of public health surveillance systems. While no surveillance systems is perfect, we need to be able to systematically evaluate the utility of the surveillance and compare surveillance systems.

About the Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialization

This specialization is intended for people working or aspiring to work in the field of public health at the local, regional, and national level.