Surveillance Webinar: Overview of Public Health Surveillance Systems Part 2-Overview of Public Health Surveillance Systems Part 2 Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this webinar, Dr. Gibb Parrish and Dr. Sharon McDonald deliver an in-depth overview of public health surveillance systems in the United States. They first briefly introduce themselves and then review the history and development of the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS), highlighting its evolution from the 19th century to the present, including the establishment of standardized case definitions and electronic reporting mechanisms. They explain the legal authority resides at the state level, with states voluntarily reporting de-identified data to the CDC.<br /><br />The presenters discuss the NNDSS’s structure, reporting procedures, and the collaboration between the CDC and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), which annually updates the list of nationally notifiable diseases. An example is provided with hepatitis A surveillance, illustrating case definitions, epidemiology, vaccine impact, and outbreak trends, including a recent spike linked to injection drug use and homelessness.<br /><br />The webinar then shifts to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a telephone survey system launched in 1984 to monitor health behaviors such as smoking, physical activity, and obesity across states. The BRFSS’s design includes core questions, optional modules, and state-specific questions, supporting comparisons across geography and demographics. Data examples show obesity trends over decades and disparities by race/ethnicity.<br /><br />They conclude by mentioning related surveys like PRAMS and YRBS, plus recent adaptations in surveillance spurred by COVID-19, including more real-time electronic data collection and wastewater monitoring as an early detection tool. The discussion touches on novel surveillance methods, challenges, and the importance of clear surveillance objectives. The session ends with Q&A covering improvements post-COVID-19, novel surveillance innovations, and population-specific considerations for obesity metrics.

Keywords

Public Health Surveillance

National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System

NNDSS

CDC

Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists

Hepatitis A Surveillance

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

BRFSS

Health Behavior Monitoring

COVID-19 Surveillance Innovations