Framework for tools for evaluating health surveillance systems

Framework and Tools for Evaluating Health Surveillance Systems provides managers of health surveillance systems with a standard approach for assessing: • The quality of the information that their systems produce; • The effectiveness of their systems in supporting the objectives of the programs that they serve; • The effectiveness of their systems in supporting informed decision-making; and • The e [...] To focus the design, specific consideration must be given to the purpose of the evaluation, the stakeholders involved in the evaluation and their roles and responsibilities, the design and scope of the evaluation, and the function of a surveillance system within a given program. [...] The specification profile will help ‘ground’ the scope of an evaluation in the context and stage of development of the surveillance system. [...] Sensitivity (1) The proportion of cases of a health event detected by the surveillance system; and (2) The system’s ability to detect outbreaks, including the ability to monitor changes in the number of cases over time.11 • What is the proportion of total cases being detected by the system? [...] Timeliness The interval between the occurrence of an adverse health event and (1) the report of the event to the appropriate health agency, (2) the identification by that agency of trends or outbreaks, or (3) the implementation of control measures.13 • On average, how many days after the onset of a health event is the information reported to the surveillance system and action taken?