Routine data

Abstract

The role of environmental hazard data for the interpretation of routine health data, and vice versa, is key in an environmental public health service. Hazard data must be considered to produce a valid interpretation of the spatiotemporal pattern of a non-communicable disease in relation to that hazard. Vice versa, interpretation of health hazard data without consideration of the baseline routine health data runs the risk of not being relevant or applicable only to a specific situation. Valid interpretation of routine health and environment data as part of surveillance usually requires collaboration between different professional groups; on one hand those familiar with patterns and methods for interpretation of routine health data and on the other hand those familiar with patterns and interpretation of routine environmental hazard data (Chapter 7).