Public health surveillance is crucial to ensure that public health resources are directed in the best possible manner. Data gathered from both active and passive surveillance is used to facilitate and respond to any public health threat accurately and productively (Checkoway, 2004).   The goal is to provide a surveillance system that is a collaboration of local, state and CDC surveillance that brings quality data to those that can bring about the greatest good( CDC, 2006). Active surveillance is a process by which providers are contacted by public health authorities to evaluate current disease rates. Conversely, passive surveillance is when public health authorities rely on providers to alert authorities of current disease rates (CDC, 2006). Passive surveillance is often used in occupational health exposures; a drawback to this is as much as 40 percent of exposures go unreported to public health officials (CDC, 2006).

            In the article “Intellectual Impairment in Children with Blood Lead Concentrations below 10 mg per Deciliter” (Canfield, 2003), both passive and active surveillance were used to provide accurate data concerning the effect of lead exposures below 10mg/dl (Canfield, 2003). Passive surveillance was used by an evaluation of reported cases by providers. It also aided in evaluation and determination of lead concentrations. Active surveillance was through the participant children between 24 to35 months of age (Canfield, 2003). Participants had blood samples collected to determine blood lead concentrations. With both active and passive surveillance, patient who had lead concentrations bellow 10mg/dl were evaluated for intellectual deficits that could be contributed to lead exposure (Canfield, 2003).  The article clearly demonstrated that both active and passive surveillance are crucial to the exposure studies and both have value to the objective of the studies. Implementing both methods brings a level of accuracy to the study that balances and qualifies the studies outcome.

Resources:

Canfield RL, Henderson CR, Cory-Slechta DA, et al. (2003). Intellectual impairment in children with blood lead concentrations below 10 mg per deciliter. N Engl J Med, 348, 1517-26.

CDC. ( 2006). Framework for Evaluating Public Health Surveillance Systems for Early Detection of outbreaks. Retrieved 07/05/07 from, http://www.cdc.gov/epo/dphsi/phs.htm

Checkoway, H., Pearce, N., & Kriebel, D. (2004). Research methods in Occupational Epidemiology (2nd Ed.). New York: Oxford University.