Event Based Surveillance

Capturing information about community events that are a risk to public health

The CHT’s Event Based Surveillance (EBS) functionality enables rapid capture of information about community events that are a potential risk to public health. Deployed at the community level, this functionality is designed to:

  • Achieve earliest possible detection of COVID-19 cases in communities
  • Provide visibility into signals, reports, and investigations centrally for follow-up
  • Coordinate and support local action based on existing roles in disease surveillance

Problem Being Addressed

Patient reporting through traditional primary health care channels is not well suited for detecting rapidly spreading outbreaks at a community scale. Timely detection of outbreaks and important public health events can be delayed or missed when relying on individual patient data and traditional health management information systems.

Solution Overview

Event Based Surveillance with the CHT offers opportunities for rapid deployment and measurable community impact for reportable diseases, including COVID-19. Through more timely event data reporting and analysis, the CHT provides early indicators of emerging issues to community health workers across the health system. The CHT solution offers:

  • Tiered reporting, verification, and escalation process, which can improve speed and quality of data
  • Signal data that can be mapped for data-driven decision-making
  • Pre-populated with Supervisor and CHW contact information
  • Health program continuity with the inclusion of pre-existing care workflows
  • System scalability through training CHWs remotely on their role and responsibilities

Users and Hierarchy Example

UserLocationDevicesRole
National and District OfficialsCentral and district officesDesktop, laptop and smartphonesMonitor overall system and analytics regarding verified, investigated and missing cases.
Sub-District InvestigatorsFacilities or local officesTablet or smartphoneInvestigate verified reports within 24 hours of signal report; add data to signal case.
CHW SupervisorsCommunity level, based at facilitiesSmartphones and personal phonesVerify COVID-19 signals. Provide feedback and guidance to CHWs.
CHWs and VolunteersCommunity levelFeature phones and some smartphonesDetect and report signals. Provide guidance and health education to patients and families.

Workflow Example

This demo illustrates a workflow that enables CHWs to use SMS to report signal codes for specific community health threats. The CHW Supervisor can then verify the initial report and, if warranted, escalate to the sub-county for investigation and follow-up. It is designed to be flexible and can be combined with other complimentary care workflows.



More background information can be found in this summary deck.