Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
1. Expansion of the CISDCP beyond infectious diseases to other dis-
eases and health-related risk factors is necessary. Although CISDCP
was initially developed for infectious disease control and preven-
tion, it has served as a successful example for the centralized sur-
veillance of disease in China. It is logical to leverage such valuable
experiences and integrate other disease surveillance processes and
systems into the common CISDCP platform.
2. Data utilization and organization for information sharing remains
a major challenge. The technological developments of the informa-
tion system for data collection, standardization, and data transfer
and storage have been a great first step. However, data to support
decision making are also critical. For this, efforts to share data not
only between agencies within health system but also between those
outside the health system will be necessary.
3. Information exchange between the CISDCP and the regional health
information network (RHIN) and electronic health records (EHR)
will be helpful. Interoperable electronic health records (EHR) is
one of the major goals named in China's recent health reform plan.
The next major goal for the national disease surveillance system is
to have it directly link to the regional health information network
and the interoperable EHRs to come. An EHR-based RHIN could
make for hospital information systems and public health informa-
tion systems to link more tightly, which will enable more timely
information sharing and make syndromic surveillance possible.
10.5 Conclusions
China established CISDCP, its disease control and prevention information
system, in 2004. This system encompasses all of China's health care facili-
ties and public health institutes. It facilitates the collection, auditing, anal-
ysis, and reporting of disease data. Individual cases detected in hospitals
are required to be sent immediately to the central data bank housed at the
national Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Daily,
weekly, monthly, and annual reports are generated and disseminated to
stakeholders. CISDCP has made it possible for the early detection of infec-
tious disease cases and outbreaks and for timely warnings of public emer-
gencies for more effective response. The system is the largest real-time case
reporting system in the world, and is run off of a common and flexible plat-
form system architecture. This model has allowed the Chinese CDC to make
a huge leap in disease control and public health management, and tremen-
dously modernized China's disease surveillance capabilities.
