Posted: July 8th, 2016

Public health departments provide a surveillance function.

Surveillance function

Public health departments provide a surveillance function pertaining to the health status of people within their geographic area, such as a city, county, or state.

Large public health databases host information on the incidence and prevalence of diseases: outbreaks of influenza, high-risk populations, survival and morbidity statistics, and the trends in diseases seen over time.