Active surveillance of infectious diseases is used to establish endemic levels of disease and to identify epidemics. HEIC can then establish procedures to lower the endemic rate or stop epidemics of disease. Different policies and procedures can also be evaluated with respect to their ability to control the spread of disease.

JHH-HEIC also studies community acquired infectious that have the potential for epidemics. Diseases under surveillance are those that require isolation or precaution procedures. Understanding these diseases when they are community acquired, and techniques for their containment, can improve our ability to prevent their spread during epidemic periods.

JHH-HEIC uses microbiolgical detection for the majority of our surveillance activities. Laboratory reports are forwarded to HEIC whenever a patient's lab work is positive for a pathogen of endemic or epidemic concern (i.e. VRE cultures). Surveillence of other health events is based on identifying patients at risk, and then conducting chart reviews (i.e. nosocomial pneumonia). Active surveillance of communicable disease includes.

review of daily laboratory final culture results
chart review
computer based surveillance

Reports of nosocomial infections includes:

recording data on surveillance sheets

entering data into appropriate data bases

evaluating trends in nosocomial diseases and those with epidemic potential

reporting diseases to the Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control Committee on a regular basis, at least annually.
   area specific data (by unit and service)
   summary data for other surveillance purposes