Sentinel Surveillance

Sentinel surveillance is the collection and analysis of data by designated institutions selected for their geographic location, medical specialty, and ability to accurately diagnose and report high quality data. For example, district hospitals may be required to report specific conditions such as bacterial meningitis in order to quantify the burden of disease due to Haemophilus influenzae type b. Generally, sentinel surveillance is useful for answering specific epidemiologic questions, but, because sentinel sites may not represent the general population or the general incidence of disease, they may have limited usefulness in analyzing national disease patterns and trends.

Types of Surveillance

Facility-Based Routine Surveillance

Community-Based Surveillance