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. 2015 Sep;105(9):1740-4.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302771. Epub 2015 Jul 16.

Public Health Intelligence: Learning From the Ebola Crisis

Timothy Jay Carney  1 , David Jay Weber  1
Affiliations

Public Health Intelligence: Learning From the Ebola Crisis

Timothy Jay Carney et al. Am J Public Health. 2015 Sep.

Abstract

Today's public health crises, as exemplified by the Ebola outbreak, lead to dramatic calls to action that typically include improved electronic monitoring systems to better prepare for, and respond to, similar occurrences in the future. Even a preliminary public health informatics evaluation of the current Ebola crisis exposes the need for enhanced coordination and sharing of trustworthy public health intelligence. We call for a consumer-centric model of public health intelligence and the formation of a national center to guide public health intelligence gathering and synthesis. Sharing accurate and actionable information with government agencies, health care practitioners, policymakers, and, critically, the general public, will mark a shift from doing public health surveillance on people to doing public health surveillance for people.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Public health information gathering, synthesis, and communication via the National Center for Public Health Intelligence and Situational Awareness. Note. AHRQ = Agency for Health Research and Quality; CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; EPA = Environmental Protection Agency; FAA = Federal Aviation Agency; FDA = Food and Drug Administration; HHS = Department of Health and Human Services; HRSA = Health Resources and Services Administration; NIH = National Institutes of Health.
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