(pdf version)
Upon completion of this seminar the students should be able to describe
- principles of disease surveillance in the community.
- the most prevalent conditions
- the role of a health agency in intervening to prevent or delay onset of, or provide early intervention to reduce, deteriorating health status of various population groups.
- Purposes of surveillance to detect onset of acute infectious disease
- The capability to estimate changes in in incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases.
- Competencies: 1A(1-4,9) 1C(1,3,4,8,10) 1D(2,8) IIA (1,4,7)
Key Words
Community Surveys, Passive & Active surveillance, Chronic Diseases, Environmental Hazards, Denominator data, Numerator data, Prevalence, Incidence, and examples of epidemiologic investigations.
Concept
Chronic non-infectious diseases are as amenable to epidemiologic evaluation and intervention as acute communicable disease. Both types of disease require use of surveillance.
References
Introduction to Public Health, Schneider, 2nd Edition Chapter 4, Pages 74-82.
Smoking Trends from the BMJ
CDC's Epidemiology Program Office
Division of Public Heath Surveillance and Information
List of Case Definitions from the CDC (look at latest defintions of several common infectious diseases to evaluate similarity and common items in case definitions.)
The Cochrane Library is being used increasingly by those interested in Surveillance. It is in many respects the Gold Standard for surveillance methods.
Examine the USPSTF web site and see if you can find some recommendations on screening from this part of the site.
Epidemic Intelligence Service EIS (to get a valuable experience after the MPH)
WHO's Department of Epidemiology Programs (look at the WHO surveillance programs and their scope)
CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Many of you will use BRFSS data for your final projects prior to graduation. In particular look at the BRFSS chronic disease page and the
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance — Selected Steps Communities, 2005
Those of you with an interest in Cancer Epidemiology might want to look at the Maps available from the NCI
Mental Health Services Funding.
Surveillance of community mental health services has identified significant unmet needs. These needs arose after the state decided to move patients out of institutional settings into community based services programs, but failed to transfer funds with them. This is typical of state line item budgeting where budgeters look at expenses for lines of services (food service, doctors, nurses, facility maintenance) but fail to look at program needs such as costs to provide services necessary for a group of patients. This failure has led to reduction in mental health costs, and abandonment of many patients discharged from facilities, who because of lack of services, end up as vagrants/homeless persons.
Dr Mays discusses funding Issues in this slide show (pdf File)