Weaving a National Surveillance System - The Role of Federal Healthcare
Abstract
The nonprofit U.S. Medicine Institute for Health Studies on March 6,2003, gathered decisionmakers from government and the private sector to examine the need for a national surveillance system and how such a system might best be developed, given current, often disparate, attempts at various levels of disease detection. Opinions presented at this forum ranged from assertions that "we have a long way to go" in developing a national system to reassurances that a national surveillance system in fact exists in the form of the current process for reportable diseases overseen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The prevailing view, however, was that disease surveillance, to be useful, must be real-time, must be automatic and must be standards- based and undoubtedly will rely on DNA sequencing chips that can screen for a vast array of organisms There was hopefulness that the focus on bioterrorism will infuse neglected public health systems with new resources, yet caution that placing too much emphasis on bioterrorism could prove counterproductive in the long run, in that funding likely would dry up should no incident occur within the next several years.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA413073
Entities
People
- Nancy E. Tomich