Epidemiologic Surveillance after Natural Disaster
Lesson 3 - Setting up systems for the surveillance of communicable and selected noncommunicable diseases
Study Guide
This lesson presents the appropriate organization of surveillance
systems. It discusses the surveillance of diseases in normal times, between
disasters; reporting sources following disaster; diseases to include in the
surveillance systems; the collection, interpretation and utilization of data;
and central level feedback to field offices.
Learning Objectives
Recognize the appropriate organization of surveillance
systems.
Identify diseases to include in a surveillance system.
Recognize
the appropriate method for the collection, interpretation and utilization of
data.
Recognize the importance of feedback to field workers.
Learning Activities
Read pages 23-39 in the manual.
Study, but do not memorize
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the manual.
Study, but do not memorize Annexes
1, 2, and 3 in the manual.
Evaluation
Complete the Self-Assessment Test.
Notes
Lesson 3 - Self Assessment Test
Multiple Choice
Circle the correct answer:
1. The primary responsibility to collate and interpret weekly
totals from surveillance reports belongs to:
a. the epidemiologist
b. the family physician
c.
reporting units
d. relief workers
e. none of the above
2. When communications and laboratory services are good, the
communicable disease control officer learns of urgent problems through:
a. weekly report forms
b. telephone
c.
laboratory
d. a and b
e. b and c
3. Under less urgent conditions or in long-term relief efforts,
the reporting week should end on:
a. a weekend
b. Sunday
c. Friday
d.
Monday
e. none of the above
4. Continued reporting of negative findings permits:
a. continued assessment of the number of reporting
units
b. gathering information on the absence of a disease
c. seeing how
well forms are completed
d. a and c
e. a and b
True/False
Indicate T or F:
____5. Before international relief workers select communicable
diseases for surveillance and clinical criteria for case reporting, they should
consult a national epidemiologist and the health relief coordinator of the
affected country.
____6. Diagnostic criteria in laboratory work after disaster needs
to be flexible.
____7. Indirect measures (i.e., school and industrial absenteeism)
may be useful in the surveillance of certain diseases.
____8. Health providers who report for duty after disasters do not
need to be informed about diagnostic criteria to be used.
____9. The guiding principle of reporting is to keep the number of
diseases under surveillance and tabulation to an absolute minimum.
____10. The deadline for receipt of notifications after a disaster
should be firm and immutable.
____11. Feedback to the field from the central office may be
accomplished by providing weekly summaries.
____12. Very exotic and fatal, or uncommon diseases are not
reported frequently to health authorities, while common communicable diseases
are reported.
____13. Disease surveillance is essentially concerned with the
gathering of information that is necessary for rational planning, operation and
evaluation of activities.
Answer Key
