Page 32 - ISMCON souvenir 2021

ISMSCON - 2021

Disease Informatics and its Role in Disease

Surveillance and Control

Dr Prashant Mathur
Director, ICMR-National Center for Disease Informatics and Research,
Bengaluru
Email: director-ncdir@icmr.gov.in

Disease informatics is defined as the systematic application of information, computer science and
technology in areas of public health, including surveillance, prevention, preparedness, and health
promotion. The latest development of disease informatics, such as geographic information system
(GIS), which uses digitized maps from satellites or aerial photography, can be used to provide a large
volume of data.

The scope of disease informatics includes communication, surveillance, and information systems relevant
to public health

Components of disease informatics
(i) Information technology: Includes a combination of hardware, software and communication
technology
(ii) Processes: Data capture, transmission and storage. It also includes database architecture, privacy,
security, and backup procedures
(iii) Tools: Visualization and implementation of the required analysis, reporting, and meaningful use of
the data collected and managed by the system
(iv) Measures: The data framework is usually defined in terms of indicators. An indicator is a measurable
factor that allows decision-makers to estimate the size of a health problem objectively and monitor
the processes, the products, or the effects of an intervention on the population.
Public health Surveillance: Surveillance is the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, interpretation
and dissemination of health data for the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health action.
The World Bank described six categories of uses of public health surveillance

• Recognize cases or clusters of cases to trigger interventions, for timely control and to reduce
morbidity and mortality.
• Assess the public health impact of health events or determine and measure trends.

• Demonstrate the need for public health intervention programs and resources, and allocate resources
during public health planning.
• Monitor effectiveness of prevention and control measures and intervention strategies.

• Identify high-risk population groups or geographic areas to target interventions and guide analytic
studies.
• Develop hypotheses that lead to analytic studies about risk factors for disease causation,
propagation, or progression.

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