PrefaceSexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2018 presents statistics and trends for STDs in the United States through 2018. This annual publication is intended as a reference document for policy makers, program managers, health planners, researchers, and others who are concerned with the public health implications of these diseases. The figures and tables in this edition supersede those in earlier publications of these data.The surveillance information in this report is based on the following sources of data: (1) notifiable disease reporting from state and local STD programs; (2) projects and programs that monitor STDs in various settings, including the National Job Training Program, the STD Surveillance Network, and the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project; and (3) national surveys and other data collection systems implemented by federal and private organizations.
Information technology can be both a vital tool and critical link in the modern public health system. This article discusses the role of information technology in public health and the activities of the Information Technology Collaborative, one of the collaboratives that comprise the national Turning Point initiative. Data are presented from a nationwide survey investigating local health department information technology needs and information technology use. This data, and data from an investigation of state-level public health information technology, will be presented in a more complete format on the Information Technology Collaborative's online Public Health Information Systems Catalog, a free resource for individuals interested in public health informatics. Recommendations for future initiatives, policy changes, and information technology standards are discussed.
The methods we proposed, though subject to important limitations, can allow STD prevention personnel to calculate evidence-based estimates of the effects of changes in their budget.
Background
The functions of disease intervention specialists (DIS) represent core infectious disease control practices and have legal foundations in the United States. Although important for state and local health departments to understand this authority, these policies have not been systematically collected and analyzed. We analyzed the authority for investigation of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across all 50 US states and the District of Columbia.
Methods
In January 2022, we collected state policies addressing the investigation of STIs using a legal research database. We coded these policies into a database on variables of interest: (1) whether the policy authorized/required investigation, (2) what type of infection triggers an investigation, (3) and the entity who is authorized/required to perform the investigation.
Results
All 50 US states and District of Columbia explicitly authorize/require investigation of cases of STI. Of these jurisdictions, 62.7% require investigations, 41% authorize investigations, and 3.9% both authorize and require investigations. Sixty-seven percent authorize/require investigations for cases of communicable disease (inclusive of an STI), 45.1% authorize/require investigations for cases of STIs generally, and 3.9% authorize/require investigations for cases of a specific STI. Eighty-two percent of jurisdictions authorize/require the state to investigate, 62.7% authorize/require local governments to investigate, and 39.2% authorize/require investigations by both state and local governments.
Conclusions
State laws that establish authority or duties regarding the investigation of STIs differ across states. It may be useful for state and local health departments to examine these policies relative to the morbidity of their jurisdiction and their STI prevention priorities.
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