4.5 Outbreak Investigation and Public Health Surveillance

Question 1

Public Health Surveillance

Answer 1

• Data from surveillance informs policies, guides to program interventions, drives public communication, and involves many approaches
• Gathers the who, what, where, and what which ultimately leads to the why.
• Systematic, ongoing observation that includes data collection to describe phenomena and detect changes in frequency or distribution of disease occurrence.

Question 2

Secondary Prevention

Answer 2

• Outbreak investigations
• Outbreak is considered an extensive transmission has occurred in a group such as a school, jail, long-term care facility, or shelter.

Question 3

Nurses Role

Answer 3

• Public Health Surveillance (data collection, diagnosis, investigation, reporting, public education)

Examples
- Investigate sources and close contacts in outbreaks of pertussis in school settings
- TB testing and contact tracing
- Collecting and reporting information pertaining to notifiable communicable diseases
- Providing morbidity and mortality statistics to those who request them.