Workforce Competencies in Syndromic Surveillance Practice at Local Health Departments

Context Climate change poses a host of serious threats to human health that robust public health surveillance systems can help address. It is unknown, however, whether existing surveillance systems in the United States have adequate capacity to serve that role, nor what actions may be needed to develop adequate capacity. Objective Our goals were to review efforts to assess and strengthen the capacity of public health surveillance systems to support health-related adaptation to climate change in the United States and to determine whether additional efforts are warranted. Methods Building on frameworks issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we specified 4 core components of public health surveillance capacity relevant to climate change health threats. Using standard methods, we next identified and analyzed multiple assessments of the existing, relevant capacity of public health surveillance systems as well as attempts to improve that capacity. We also received information from selected national public health associations. Findings Multiple federal, state, and local public health agencies, professional associations, and researchers have made valuable, initial efforts to assess and strengthen surveillance capacity. These efforts, however, have been made by entities working independently and without the benefit of a shared conceptual framework or strategy. Their principal focus has been on identifying suitable indicators and data sources largely to the exclusion of other core components of surveillance capacity. Conclusions A more comprehensive and strategic approach is needed to build the public health surveillance capacity required to protect the health of Americans in a world of rapidly evolving climate change. Public health practitioners and policy makers at all levels can use the findings and issues reviewed in this article as they lead design and execution of a coordinated, multisector strategic plan to create and sustain that capacity.

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“…Another survey found “considerable” gaps in public health workforce proficiencies in syndromic surveillance. 39 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate Change and Public Health Surveillance: Toward a Comprehensive Strategy

Moulton

Schramm

2017

Journal of Public Health Management and Practice

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“…The NSSP CoP's approach to building syndromic surveillance capacity includes various activities that were developed on the basis of an analysis of issues and learning needs identified through needs assessments, surveys, and conversations with syndromic surveillance practitioners and stakeholders. [21][22][23][24] Capacity-building activities of the NSSP CoP are grouped into 5 domains: (1) community-driven leadership, (2) member participation and engagement, (3) collaboration and networking, (4) knowledge sharing and training, and 5problem solving. ISDS uses a combination of quantitative (website usage metrics, member surveys) and qualitative (success stories) data to monitor the community's capacitybuilding efforts and successes.…”

Section: Nssp Cop's Capacity-building Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building State and Local Public Health Capacity in Syndromic Surveillance Through an Online Community of Practice

et al. 2019

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“…The LHDs' use of surveillance system to monitor opioid-related events can better equip and well position them to play an active role in addressing the opioid crisis. However, LHDs may vary in their capacity to identifying events of public health importance, interpreting patterns shown by syndromic surveillance data, and collaborating with other community partners on the follow-up of detected cases or events 6. It is critical to assess the extent of LHDs' engagement in activities to address the opioid crisis and the influence of engaging in syndromic surveillance of such activities.…”

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confidence: 99%

Local Health Departments' Engagement in Activities to Address Opioid Use and Abuse: The Influence of Surveillance Systems' Use

Nguyen

Shah

Khurshid

et al. 2020

Journal of Public Health Management and Practice

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Aims: To examine the extent to which local health departments (LHDs) conduct activities to address opioid use and abuse. To test the hypothesis that (i) LHDs' access to data from an electronic syndromic surveillance system is associated with conducting activities to address opioid use and abuse, and (ii) among those LHDs with access to syndromic surveillance data, the use of syndromic and other surveillance data on opioid-related events is associated with LHDs' report of conducting activities to address opioid use and abuse. Methods: Logistic regression was used to analyze data from the 2018 Forces of Change Survey of a statistically representative sample of 966 LHDs, of which 591 participated in the survey. Results: The LHDs' access to a syndromic surveillance system was significantly associated with their report of conducting activities to address opioid use and abuse. Compared with LHDs that had no surveillance systems, odds of participating in activities to address the opioid use or abuse were higher for LHDs that managed their own surveillance systems (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 3.022, P = .03) and those who had but did not manage their own surveillance systems (AOR = 1.920, P < .01). The LHDs' use of syndromic surveillance systems (AOR = 2.98, P = .01) or other surveillance systems (AOR = 2.21, P = .03) was also associated with higher odds to participate in activities to address the opioid use or abuse (vs no such use). Conclusion:The LHDs are strategically well positioned to play their role in addressing this multifaceted epidemic. Access to data or information from electronic syndromic surveillance systems that use hospital emergency department data might significantly improve LHDs' engagement in conducting activities to address opioid use and abuse within their communities while building their capacity to face the next epidemic.

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Workforce Competencies in Syndromic Surveillance Practice at Local Health Departments

Abstract: Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text.This study provides an assessment of self-reported knowledge and skills in syndromic surveillance tasks to effectively target technical assistance to different levels of local health department need.

Cited by 4 publications

References 8 publications

Climate Change and Public Health Surveillance: Toward a Comprehensive Strategy

Climate Change and Public Health Surveillance: Toward a Comprehensive Strategy

Building State and Local Public Health Capacity in Syndromic Surveillance Through an Online Community of Practice

Local Health Departments' Engagement in Activities to Address Opioid Use and Abuse: The Influence of Surveillance Systems' Use

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