title: Updated guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems: recommendations from the Guidelines Working Group.
abstract: The purpose of evaluating public health surveillance systems is to ensure that problems of public health importance are being monitored efficiently and effectively. CDC's Guidelines for Evaluating Surveillance Systems are being updated to address the need for a) the integration of surveillance and health information systems, b) the establishment of data standards, c) the electronic exchange of health data, and d) changes in the objectives of public health surveillance to facilitate the response of public health to emerging health threats (e.g., new diseases). This report provides updated guidelines for evaluating surveillance systems based on CDC's Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health, research and discussion of concerns related to public health surveillance systems, and comments received from the public health community. The guidelines in this report describe many tasks and related activities that can be applied to public health surveillance systems.
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health Surveillance and Informatics, Epidemiology Program Office, CDC, USA.
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: German
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Horan
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Milstein
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Pertowski
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Waller
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000592:standards*; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D040442:Public Health Informatics; D014481:United States