Introduction to Public Health Surveillance

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Description

Surveillance is a key function of public health, but what does it mean? This module introduces public health surveillance concepts and principles for public health workers who have little or no prior training in epidemiology. You'll learn about surveillance systems in local, state, and national public health practice and how these important systems are used in tracking diseases and other public health threats.

Objectives

After completing this module, you should be able to:

• Define public health surveillance
• Describe the different uses of surveillance systems
• Describe the legal basis for disease reporting
• List the steps in establishing a surveillance system
• Explain the process for evaluating surveillance systems
• List examples of surveillance systems at the local, state, and national levels