Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #111943

Andrew Ellingson, MPH¹, Karen Ann Hacker, MD, MPH², Ricki Lacy, MS, RN³, and Lise E. Fried, MS². (1) Cambridge public Health Department, 119 Windsor Street, Ground Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617-665-3683, aellingson@challiance.org, (2) Institute for Community Health, 119 Windsor Street, Ground Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, (3) Cambridge Health Department, 119 Windsor Street, Ground Level, Cambridge, MA 02139

Efforts to improve emergency preparedness over the last few years have given local health departments a political and economic incentive to adopt syndromic surveillance systems to detect bioterrorism or naturally occurring outbreaks. While syndromic surveillance has given local health departments new data sources, stronger ties to hospitals, and timely information, the major challenge continues to be designing standard practices for post alert investigation and intervention. Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) has been utilizing two syndromic surveillance systems since July 2004 and has been investigating ways to validate and refute signals as well as possible control measures. If early detection does not lead to control measures or informed decision making then epidemiologists and public health officials must question the capacity of current surveillance systems to serve as a catalyst for early intervention. This paper will report on a surveillance-based case study conducted by the CPHD. In late December the two syndromic surveillance systems used by the CPHD detected and alerted the department to an increase in respiratory visits at a local hospital. The investigation revealed flaws in the assumptions made on how signals could be investigated. This paper will highlight the key findings from this internal investigation, showing the strengths and challenges of surveillance systems and identifying the steps that need to be taken in order for surveillance efforts to be effective in early detection of disease outbreaks.

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