Automated surveillance and infection control: Toward a better tomorrow

Advances in the use of technology to collect, aggregate, and derive meaning from infection control data have increased the potential for the discipline as a whole. However, many infection control professionals have yet to adapt these tools to practice. This report provides the infection control professional with an introduction to the use of informatics for automated surveillance by defining key terms and describing their interrelationships. Several advantages and disadvantages to adapting automated surveillance are discussed, and future opportunities and challenges to the profession are offered.