What does passive health surveillance involve?

Passive health surveillance involves the systematic collection and analysis of health data without active involvement or intervention from the health authority. This method primarily relies on existing data sources to monitor health indicators over time. The regular reporting of disease data accurately reflects the essence of passive health surveillance, as it includes tracking cases of illness and other health-related events reported by healthcare providers, hospitals, or laboratories.

In contrast, emergency response training, active intervention in health crises, and annual health assessments are more proactive approaches. Emergency response training prepares individuals or organizations to take action during a health crisis, whereas active intervention involves direct measures taken to address or manage a health issue as it arises. Annual health assessments are routine evaluations aimed at determining an individual's health status but do not capture the ongoing, systematic collection of disease data characteristic of passive surveillance.