Anu Anuradha1
1 Metro South Public Health Unit, Metro South Health, PO Box 33 Archerfield, QLD 4108, satyamurthy.anuradha@health.qld.gov.au
Abstract:
Syndromic surveillance collects data in real-time (or near real-time) from a multitude of sources to inform public health action. It generates information by collecting, analysing, and interpreting routine health-related data on symptoms and clinical signs reported by patients and clinicians for prompt and effective action. It augments traditional public health surveillance methods with timely information as it is based on syndromes rather than microbiologically or clinically confirmed cases.
Syndromic surveillance can help with early detection/ prevention of outbreaks; characterize the size, spread and tempo of outbreaks in real-time; provide early warning of health protection incidents; reassure about lack of impact of incidents (e.g., during mass gatherings); and inform the public health response, be it service planning or public health messaging.
A list of key attributes has been derived to determine the data sources, methods of data transfer and analysis needed for the development of the syndromic surveillance system. Using the ‘Gastro’ syndromic surveillance system that was set up during the Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast in 2018 as a case study, this presentation will enumerate the processes, challenges, and outcomes of using syndromic surveillance in public health.