What function does the public health surveillance system serve?

The primary function of the public health surveillance system is to collect, analyze, and interpret health data to guide action. This process is vital for identifying trends and outbreaks, assessing the effectiveness of interventions, and informing public health policy and resource allocation. By systematically gathering data related to disease incidence, risk factors, and health outcomes, public health professionals can detect emerging health threats and make evidence-based decisions to protect and improve the health of communities.

Additionally, effective public health surveillance enables timely responses to public health emergencies and facilitates research by providing foundational data that informs healthcare practices and preventive measures. This function does not concern itself with conducting clinical trials for new medications, which is the domain of clinical research, nor does it focus on private sector growth or oversight of malpractice litigation, which fall outside the typical scope of public health surveillance.