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Published on: April 9, 2021
Biosurveillance in outbreak investigations
S Cornelia Kaydos-Daniels1, Lucia Rojas Smith, Tonya R Farris
1RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, USA. neely@rti.org
Summary
Automated syndromic surveillance systems aid public health outbreak investigations by providing timely data. Enhancing these systems with medical chart data can improve their effectiveness and reduce staff burden.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Biodefense
Background:
- Following bioterrorism events in 2001, automated syndromic surveillance systems were implemented for early detection and rapid response.
- The effectiveness of these systems in early outbreak notification and their role in response remain under-documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the practical application of biosurveillance in augmenting classical outbreak investigations.
- To identify which outbreak investigation steps benefit most from biosurveillance and where improvements are needed.
Main Methods:
- Case studies were conducted between 2007 and 2008.
- Analysis of how different syndromic surveillance systems functioned within outbreak investigations.
Main Results:
- Syndromic surveillance systems demonstrated success in all steps of outbreak investigations, sometimes identifying outbreaks before other methods.
- Key advantages included sensitivity, timeliness, flexibility, and situational awareness.
- Limitations involved a lack of specificity, reliance on chief complaint data, and insufficient user training.
Conclusions:
- Biosurveillance is a valuable tool for outbreak investigations, offering significant advantages in speed and data provision.
- Integrating syndromic data with electronic health records and triage notes would enhance system value and efficiency.
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