Information and surveillance systems and community health: building the public health information infrastructure

The scope and purpose of public health injury and disease surveillance systems will expand in response to the increasing information needs of communities and health organizations. Public health leaders must focus on the entire information infrastructure. Surveillance and information systems need to evolve to include targeting and evaluating community-wide prevention programs. Standards governing exchange as well as data content will become central to these new systems and the emerging health information infrastructure. Future surveillance systems will face challenges in forming partnerships with managed care organizations, in developing new information tools, and in training the public health workforce.