Use of data linkage to improve communicable disease surveillance and control in Australia: existing practices, barriers and enablers.

CONCLUSIONS: We identified considerable variation in the use of data linkage to inform communicable disease surveillance and control activities between jurisdictions. We suggest that routinely collected, disparate data are systematically integrated into existing surveillance and response policy cycle to improve communicable disease prevention and control efforts. Implications for public health: Existing gaps in communicable disease surveillance data may affect prevention and control efforts. Data linkage is recognised as a valuable method to close surveillance gaps and should be used to enhance the value of publicly held health data. PMID: 30516306 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Aust N Z J Public Health Source Type: research