Syndromic Surveillance: From Bioterrorism to Essential Disease Outbreak Monitor
Syndromic surveillance, initially designed to counter bioterrorism, has evolved into a crucial tool for monitoring disease outbreaks and illness trends in the healthcare marketplace. This system, developed in the early 1990s, collects health data from hospitals and tracks the number of people hospitalized for specific symptom groups, or 'syndromes'.
The concept of syndromic surveillance emerged in the early 1990s, with public health professionals aiming to accelerate outbreak detection. Its implementation on epidemiologists' websites began in the late 1990s to early 2000s, marking a shift towards real-time public health monitoring.
Syndromic data serves as a critical early warning system, providing a baseline for community health and alerting authorities to potential public health concerns. Since 2002, this system has been used to monitor for clusters of illnesses and potential health events, helping to lessen the burden of outbreaks in the community.
Syndromic surveillance, born out of bioterrorism concerns, has become an invaluable tool for health insurance providers and public health. By tracking illness trends and providing early warnings, it helps communities prepare and respond to potential health threats.
