PH 314 Public Health Surveillance and Management of Health Information Systems

Course Description:
This course underscores the important role of public health surveillance in the management of health information systems. Emphases are placed on the principles and practice of public health surveillance, their fundamental functions and contribution to reliable health information systems. Issues on existing mechanisms of public health surveillance systems in Micronesia and other Pacific Island countries, their effectiveness and areas for improvement are discussed. This course is particularly useful to students and health workers active and/ or interested in health statistics.

Prerequisite Courses: Eligible to enter 3rd year Certificate of Achievement in Public Health

A. PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES (PLOS):
The student will be able to:

Recognize, describe and discuss and research about the basic principles and practices of the specialty;
List, discuss and demonstrate the essential public health functions or the specialty and its interrelationships with the other specialties and health disciplines at community and national levels;
Describe, discuss and research adult, children and family health issues at community level;
Discuss and demonstrate an understanding and practice of the speciality public health competencies;
Demonstrate proper public health skills for its practice in the community as a national specialty practitioner;
Discuss and demonstrate community and cultural sensitivity in the health care environment;
Describe, discuss and research the health determinants and problems of adults, children and families;
Demonstrate proper cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid techniques and other healing and patient care abilities;
Demonstrate the ability and discuss how to conduct a community diagnosis and need assessment of the health determinants of the specialty in a community;
Identify and demonstrate good practice in the specialty; and
Have had management, planning experience and leadership role at a public health specialty at community and national levels.

B. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOS) - GENERAL
The student will be able to:

Describe how public health surveillance (PHS) plays a role within the health information systems.
Describe and explain how the current PHSS operates in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and its linkage with the existing FSM health information system (HIS).
Outline and explain the principles of managing the surveillance information system and issues related to quality control of data.
Outline and describe the fundamentals of evaluation of an operating surveillance system.
Describe the important contributions of surveillance information to the quality of a health information system.

SLO	PLO 1	PLO 2	PLO 3	PLO 4	PLO 5	PLO 6	PLO 7	PLO 8	PLO 9	PLO 10	PLO 11
1	M	D		D						D
2	M	D		D						D
3	M	D		D						D
4	M	D		D						D
5	M	D		D						D

I = Introduced
D = Demonstrated
M = Mastered

C. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOS) – SPECIFIC
The student will be able to:

General SLO 1: Describe how public health surveillance (PHS) plays a role within the health information systems.

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment strategies
1.1 Briefly describe the historical development of PHS.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
1.2 Explain the purposes and uses of surveillance	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
1.3 Describe conditions under which surveillance is most useful.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
1.4 Outline the steps in planning a surveillance system; list and explain its objectives; and describe the main methods of surveillance.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
1.5 List and describe local and external sources of surveillance data.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
1.6 Explain the use of surveillance data to improve the health status of populations in Micronesia and in the Pacific at large.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes

General SLO 2: Describe and explain how the current PHSS operates in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and its linkage with the existing FSM health information system (HIS).

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment strategies
2.1. Describe the current health-care information infrastructure at the national, state and community levels in FSM.	Group discussion and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
2.2. Describe how the current PHSS works in FSM.	Group discussion and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
2.3. List the weaknesses of the current PHSS and propose ways to improve surveillance systems of public health importance.	Group discussion and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
2.4. Explain why it is fundamental to have a comprehensive health-care information system and clear operational mechanisms for PHSS.	Group discussion and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
2.5. Describe the main advantages and limitations of the Telemedicine activities in Micronesia.	Group discussion and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes

General SLO 3: Outline and explain the principles of managing the surveillance information system and issues related to quality control of data.

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment strategies
3.1 Analyze and interpret surveillance data using descriptive epidemiological methods.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
3.2 Choose the most appropriate and meaningful data display methods to present analyzed data	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
3.3 Correctly use the analyzed surveillance data in assessing, evaluating, monitoring the health status of study populations, and in projecting future needs for health interventions.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
3.4 Describe the role of information technology (IT) in managing surveillance information systems.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
3.5 Describe basic principles of computerized data bases and internet-based surveillance information systems.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
3.6 Explain prominent issues related to data collection and reporting	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
3.7 List the possible pitfalls in the process of feedback, integration, and dissemination of data.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
3.8 Explain how best to communicate information within the public health system for optimal public health actions.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes

General SLO 4: Outline and describe the fundamentals of evaluation of an operating surveillance system

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment strategies
4.1. Explain why there is a need to periodically evaluate a surveillance system.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
4.2. Outline the main steps in evaluating a surveillance system.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
4.3. Describe, using examples, the elements that determine public health importance (i.e. morbidity, severity, premature mortality, economic cost, and preventability) of diseases	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
4.4. Describe, using examples, the common attributes of a system (i.e. simplicity, acceptability, sensitivity, positive predictive value, representativeness, timeliness).	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
4.5. Evaluate an existing surveillance system for notified diseases in FSM or the regional setting.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes

General SLO 5: Describe the important contributions of surveillance information to the quality of a health information system

Student Learning Outcomes	Assessment strategies
5.1. Explain what is considered an ideal, computerized surveillance system.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
5.2. Describe the barriers to an ideal surveillance system, including technological issues.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
5.3. Illustrate how surveillance information can be useful in marketing and advocating public health programs and initiatives.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
5.4. Explain what Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network (PPHSN) is and describe its functions.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes
5.5. Describe some ethical issues in surveillance; and the current issues that link surveillance and the Law on Public Health, Safety and Welfare in FSM.	Group discussions and oral reports to be graded according to a specified rubric Individual assignments Direct and multiple choice questions in examinations and quizzes

D. COURSE CONTENT

Historical development
Considerations in planning a surveillance system
Sources of health-related information
The current health information and surveillance systems in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)
Management of the surveillance information system and quality control of data
Descriptive epidemiology: analyzing and interpreting surveillance data
Communicating information for action within the public health system
Evaluating public health surveillance (PHS)
Ethical issues
Public health surveillance and the law
Computerizing public health surveillance systems
Using surveillance information in communications, marketing, and advocacy

E. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

Lectures: in-class lectures
Exercise on surveillance data
Group discussion and exercise on the evaluation of PHSS in FSM and in the region

F. REQUIRED TEXT AND COURSE MATERIALS
Teutsch SM., Churchill RE. (2000) Principles and Practice of Public Health Surveillance, 2nd edition. Oxford University Press - USA. (or most recent edition).

G. REFERENCE MATERIALS
Secretariat of the Pacific Community (1998) Public Health Surveillance in the Pacific. SPC, Noumea – New Caledonia (or most recent edition)
Joseph KH., Tan PhD. (2001) Health Management Information Systems: Methods and Practical Applications, 2nd edition. Jones & Bartlett Publishers (or most recent edition).
Wager KA., Lee FW., Glaser JP. (2005) Managing Health Care Information Systems – A practical approach for health care executives, 1st edition. Jossey Wiley & Sons, Inc. (or most recent edition)

H. INSTRUCTIONAL COST
none

I. EVALUATION
None

J. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
None

College of Micronesia - FSM

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PH 314 Public Health Surveillance and Management of Health Information Systems