What is the difference between monitoring and surveillance in a health program?
Dear Dr. Kulkarni,
Surveillance is only an observation without intervention and Monitoring is observation of an intervention in a research.
Regards,
To understand these two terms. First we should clear how these terms are employed in the preventive science. Term Monitoring is one type of control of any programme, it is to observe/ note the day to day activities, .So that the project /programme can run according to the planning.If there is any deviation, which is bound to occur,if we not take corrective measures timely, then it leads some problem during implementation of the programme /Project.
Surveillance in simple words it is collection of data for action. This activity is mostly to detect the undetected cases of any disease.When we get information through data collection, then we diagnose problems or bottlenecks and try to act on the various points through multipronged strategy, so that we contain disease which is a serious public health problem.
Dr.Mohanlal thanks for the making clear the distinction between monitoring and surveillance.
In veterinary epidemiology, we tend define the two concepts like this. I believe that they are very similar to public Health definitions.
Surveillance
The systematic, continuous or repeated, measurement, collection, collation, analysis, interpretation and timely dissemination of animal health and welfare related data from defined populations. These data are then used to describe health hazard occurrence and to contribute to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of risk mitigation actions.
Monitoring
The systematic, continuous or repeated, measurement, collection, collation, analysis and interpretation of animal health and welfare related data in defined populations when these activities are not associated with a pre-defined risk mitigation plan although extreme changes are likely to lead to action.
(Ref: http://www.fp7-risksur.eu/sites/fp7-risksur.eu/files/partner_logos/icahs-workshop-2011_surveillance_tewrminology_report_V1.2.pdf)
Monitoring ensure that a specific public health program to prevent and or stop epidemic is carried out as planned so that the goal and objectives are meet. Thus this requires a documented observation based on certain parameters designed from the planned program and is carried out in a systematic regular bases.
Surveillance is a preliminary research mechanism to collect data not on regular frequency; that will be subject to analysis in order to identify problem that is of public health concern so that proper prevention program will be planned, designed and implemented.
Surveillance is ongoing observation of a system, monitoring is checking whether our current progress is in line with pre-set objectives, with the aim of making adjustments so as to meet those objectives, which normally is sporadic.
I understand that Monitoring is a passive process where in the data collected regarding any disease or other matter is monitored on a weekly/monthly /quarterly/yearly basis. The inputs may be from field staff in form of reports
Surveillance is an active kind of monitoring where the issue under observation is continuously and actively under radar.
As I understand, monitoring is usually done in the context of clinical management, usually for a patient or a group of patients. It may also be done while studying with regard to action of a particular drug or vaccine. However, surveillance is used for a community and therefore this word has the main significance in community medicine.
The World health defines surveillance as such:
Public health surveillance is the continuous, systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health-related data needed for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice. Such surveillance can: serve as an early warning system for impending public health emergencies; document the impact of an intervention, or track progress towards specified goals; and monitor and clarify the epidemiology of health problems, to allow priorities to be set and to inform public health policy and strategies.
The definition of monitoring is more generic and seems to be used more to compare time or parallel methods to research potential things which may impact us...
MONITORING is intermitent o episodic performance.and analysis of measurements aimed and detecting changes in the health status of populations or in the physical or social events.
Is diference from SURVEILLANCE, wich often is a continuous process that is used in monitoring.and imply intervention. Is a systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of data, Is a essential feature of epidemiological and public health practice.The final phase in the surveillance chain is the application of information to health promotion and to disease prevention and control.
Dear Dr. Kulkarni,
The aim of surveillance is to demonstrate the absence of disease or to identify its presence or distribution to allow for timely dissemination of information for integrated action among different sectors. Monitoring involves the intermittent performance and analysis of routine measurements and observations to detect changes in the environment or health status of a population, but without eliciting a response.
Regards,
Monitoring - The performance and analysis of routine measurements, aimed at detecting changes in the environment or health status of populations. In manegement, the continuons oversight of the implementation of an activity, seeking to ensure that input deliveries, work schedules, targeted outputs, and other requiered actions are proceeding according to plan. Continuous measurement of the effect an intervention on the health status of a population or environment.
Surveillance - Continuous analysis, interpretation, and feedback of systematically colected data, generrally using methods distinguieshed by their practicaly, uniformity, and rapidity rather than by accuracy or completeness. Sources of data may relate directly to disease or to factors influencing diseases. Thus they may include mortality and morbibity reports, laboratory diagnoses, outbreak reports, vaccine utilization, sickness absence records, diseases determinantsor susceptibility to disease.
To some monitoring also implies intervention on the light of observed measurements e not be confused with surveillance; althougt the techniques of surveillance may be used in monitoring.
Every one is right and i only want to make it simpler by the mean that monitoring is the part of surveillance. Data collected by monitoring with suspicion should be disseminated to concern people to take an action by appropriate authority.
Surveillance is the umbrella activity, monitoring a part of it. See responses of Isobel Lostada Castillo and Maria Jesus Rodriguez-Blanco.
Hi Dear
What is the difference between control and monitoring and evaluation and assessment and surveillance? Please express your opinions by reference.
I am waiting for your comments.
Screening: is administration of a test or serial test (such as lab test ,medical examination,questionnair).to individual to detect any dysfunction or disease.
surveillance: continuous, systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health-related data needed for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice.
I agree with what has been said. Monitoring is more situational and proactive while surveillance is more global and reactive but the end result is to look at developments /changes in an existing status, whether this is change brought about by interventions or by natural events and occurences.
Surveillance and monitoring , sometimes can be the same in language, but not in applications.
However," surveillance can be define as the routine collection , analysis, and dissemination of all data that may be relevant for the prevention and control of a disease"(Chin, 2000) of specific health problem . As Molovon, states, : Public health surveillance is the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, closely integrated with the timely dissemination of these data to those responsible for preventing and controlling disease and injury (Thacker and Berkelman 1988 Generally, surveillance requires three functions in this sequence: (1) data collection, (2) analysis and interpretations, and (3) decision making . Some uses of surveillance systems in public health are:describing trends and the natural (secular) history of health problems, detecting epidemics, providing details about patterns of disease, monitoring changes in disease agents through laboratory testing, planning and setting health program priorities, evaluating the effects of prevention and control measures, and detecting critical changes in health practices (NDC, , 2018). Thus, most common surveillance systems are passive , active and sentinel. For example we all know these ones: vital records, hospital records, death certificates, birth records. It would help a surveillance system much in cases of mandatory reporting, when there is a universal case definition or a ICD_10 code. Monitoring can be define as is a continuous assessment that aims at providing all interested professionals or observers, can gain early detailed information on the progress or delay of the ongoing assessed activities. Both terms are well used in epidemiology or disease investigations, but both terms are also well used in public safety and quality assurance and control GMP procedures in manufactures. Bottom line of how to use the terms, it depends what activity one will be doing.
ok, other clear examples:
in a storm= I maybe monitoring the winds and the level of water...(No surveillance ) because I am not collecting the data, I just one to be ready if I find myself in a adverse weather situation.
I went to the doctor and he said to me, you have diabetics, try no to eat to much bread, pasta and rice. , ok, so what I will do, I will monitor my eating habits.....I am not recording, I am just have the awareness of trying my best no to eat too much bread, pasta and rice because they are carbohydrates that can covert later in sugars.
Examples:
Monitoring
https://www.bmj.com/content/330/7492/644
Surveillance & monitoring
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11770/
Chapter Public Health Surveillance: A Tool for Targeting and Monitor...
https://www.cdc.gov/about/facts/cdcfastfacts/surveillance.html
Maria you are right. I would add-
Monitoring is short and concise compared to Surveillance. Surveillance has three sub types- Active-, Passive- and Sentinel- Surveillance.
Active Surveillance helps in Primary data collection and bit expensive compared to the others.
Passive Surveillance involves others to get the data which are predominantly secondary in nature and accuracy has a question mark.
Sentinel Misalliance is least expensive and can get data through different media, like news paper or Television channels.
Just an opinion. Monitoring is a regular observation. Surveillance is a continuous observation.
Monitoring refers to a continuous, dynamic process of collecting data about health and disease and their determinants in a population over a defined time period (descriptive epidemiology).
Surveillance is a more intensive form of data recording than monitoring. Surveillance refers to a specific extension of monitoring where obtained information is utilised and measures are taken if certain threshold values related to disease status have been passed. It, therefore, is part of disease control programmes.
Health surveillance is able to collect data in a timely, systematic and orderly form; analyzes and interpretes to observe or record changes in the trend or distribution of health problems and their associated factors, in order to recommend measures to prevent and control diseases or the promotion of health for a population.
Surveillance and monitoring are critical components of a well-functioning public health system. Public health professionals use surveillance to assist them in performing many of their key functions. These include monitoring, vector control, responding to outbreaks of infectious disease, identifying the source of foodborne illnesses, ensuring the safety of drinking water and national blood supplies, and tracking modifiable risk factors for noncommunicable diseases in order to develop and evaluate preventive policies.
Surveillance is continue process include data collection, analysis, interpretation.monitoring include observations process in limited time.
I understand better when I compare both terms in two ways:
1. Context: Monitoring is usually used in clinical (hospital) scenario and Surveillance in epidemiological scenario. The term is used elsewhere also but, I am describing the medical scenarios.
2. Time period (as mentioned by @Murtadha Addai): Monitoring is a periodic observation whereas, Surveillance is a continuous scrutiny. Eg: A pt is monitored as long as he/she is admitted in the hospital and may not be monitored at home. It may not be necessary also, according to clinical decision. Surveillance is a continuous and kind of indefinite process till a defined time limit is reached. Monitoring is mostly outcome de-limited whereas, surveillance is time de-limited.
Monitor and surveillance.You record things in some sort of organoleptic sense. For surveillance you use organoleptic senses and record them in writing- eg epidemiology- and often carry out diagnostic pathology and experimental studieswhen doing disease surveillance.But you can do disease monitoring which is recording observations without further experimentation The phrase security surveillance or monitoring is used for protection of public and public property by observation and usually written recording. Thus there is little or no real difference between the two.
About disease, monitoring can lead to and surveillance systems include disease control strategies.
Monitoring is keeping watch on how things are going on and surveillance is ongoing activity and its collection of data for action
examples- the cardiac monitor in CCU monitors the vitals of a patient while the resident posted who takes action according to the data on monitors is doing the surveillance.
According to standard dictionaries Monitoring and surveillance are synonymous. But in public health practice they have somewhat different meanings. Monitoring is a passive process where in the data collected regarding any disease or other matter is monitored on a weekly/monthly /quarterly/yearly basis. The inputs may be from field staff in form of reports. Surveillance is systematic and continuous collection, analysis and interpretation of data closely integrated with the timely and coherent dissemination of the results and assessment to those who have right to know that action can be taken. [Dictionary of epidemiology-IEA] .The aim of surveillance is to effectively control the disease in question.
Surveillance is an act of observing performance, events, or information aiming at influencing, handling, or directing. It mostly involves observation from remoteness through the use of automated/electronic gadgets (i.e. CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television)), or by means of intercepting information that is transmitted electronically. This is some time for the purposes of security.
While monitoring on the other hand is the logical procedure employ in gathering, analyzing, and using data or facts to track a program's evolvement in other to reach the desire objectives and to lead towards making decisions. It involves capturing, recording, and reporting of activities.
This link maybe useful:
https://wikidiff.com/surveillance/monitoring
Surveillance means the continuous investigation of a given population to detect the occurrence of a disease for control purposes which may involve testing of a part of a population It is a part of control programmes for specific diseases.
Monitoring constitutes on-going programmes directed at the detection of changes in the prevalence of disease in a given population making of routine observation on health, productivity and environmental factors and the recording of these observations.
• Surveillance: Continuous scrutiny of all aspects of occurrence and spread of diseases that are pertinent to effective control. Surveillance is an active kind of search where the issue under observation is continuously and actively under the radar.
• Monitoring is a passive process wherein the data collected regarding any disease or other matter is monitored on a weekly/monthly /quarterly/yearly basis. The inputs may be from field staff in form of reports
M S Kulkarni
According to the US Centers for Disease Control, Public Health Surveillance is the ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health-related data essential to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice, closely integrated with the timely feedback of these data to those responsible for prevention, control and action while
MEASURE Evaluation defined monitoring of a program or intervention as the collection of routine data that measure progress toward achieving program objectives. It is used to track changes in program performance over time.
The purpose of program monitoring is to permit stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding the effectiveness of programs and the efficient use of resources. Monitoring activities are tied to a specific project with intended and pre-planned intervention activities. Monitoring is sometimes referred to as process evaluation because it focuses on the implementation process and asks key questions: such as how well has the program been implemented?, how much does implementation vary from site to site? & did the program benefit the intended people? At what cost?.
On the other hand Surveillance helps to; estimate the magnitude of a problem, determine geographic distribution of illness, detect epidemics/outbreaks, generate hypotheses which stimulate stimulate research, evaluate control measures, monitor changes in infectious agents & detect changes in health practices.
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