Syndromic surveillance uses individual and population health indicators that are available before confirmed diagnoses or laboratory confirmation to identify outbreaks or health events and monitor the health status of a community. By automating public health data collection through Meaningful Use, syndromic surveillance provides public health information in near real time, often sooner than a laboratory test can even be completed. By getting more information more quickly, local, state, and federal public health can detect and respond to more outbreaks and health events more quickly. In addition to the promise of rapid response, the syndromic surveillance data compiled through Meaningful Use provides data streams for longer term, ongoing analysis of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, injuries, and the use of healthcare services.

Click here to read CDC's Overview of Syndromic Surveillance.

Click here for more information on how Syndromic Surveillance has a role in Meaningful Use and Healthcare