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System Monitoring for Near Real-Time Surveillance for Infectious Diseases

Description

Events of recent years, particularly concern about a possible avian (H5N1) influenza pandemic, have focused increasing attention on the need for timely surveillance, with real time surveillance as the ultimate goal. In a previous study, we reported on the utility of monitoring clinical laboratory results as a means of estimating the incidence of influenza in the U.S. within 24 hours using the Quest Diagnostics Corporate Informatics Data Warehouse. We have now begun to explore the feasibility of near real time surveillance using an internal application capable of providing alerts on unusual conditions within minutes of their occurrence. Our first application of this technology to infectious disease is monitoring activity related to the possible emergence of avian (H5N1) influenza in the United States.

 

Objective

To explore the utility of a system monitoring program for infectious disease surveillance with real time proactive notification.

Submitted by elamb on