The Development of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Disease Surveillance System in Health Region 2

Abstract

           Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, a noticeable surge in the number of infected individuals has been observed, and the virus has spread extensively throughout the Thai nation. The Department of Disease Control, MoPH has taken significant strides in enhancing its patient surveillance system to compile diverse data for strategic planning and decision support. However, this system still faces certain limitations. The objective of this study was to develop a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infectious disease surveillance system in Health Region 2. The steps taken were as follows: 1) Analysis of the needed components, 2) Design and development of the system, 3) Trial and improvement, and 4) Evaluation of the attributes and utilization of the surveillance system. The satisfaction of the system was assessed using a structured questionnaire. The results of the study indicate that the COVID-19 surveillance system in Health Region 2, known as Cloud COVID Region 2 (CCR2), has been designed and developed using the Google Cloud system on the Google Sheets platform for users at all levels. The system performed its functions and shared information about patients under investigation (PUI) and contact persons. The system included essential modules, including severe symptom and death reports, vaccine recipient data, and reports on individuals who experienced adverse reactions to the vaccine. These modules can support health officers in controlling the disease. The satisfaction score for the acceptability of the CCR2 system was at the highest level (average=4.35±0.64), and the utilization was also at the highest level (4.32±0.70). The simplicity dimension of the system scored at the highest level (4.23±0.71), and the flexibility dimension was at a high level (4.09±0.68). The data quality dimension was also at a high level (4.04±0.76), while the stability and security of the system were at a high level (3.68±0.87). The overall satisfaction score of the system was at the highest level (4.27±0.66). In summary, the CCR2 surveillance system can meet the data needs of the Emergency Operations Center for Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Health Region 2. It can be used for reporting, monitoring, detecting outbreaks, responding to them, and controlling the disease. Moreover, it can serve as a model for the development of disease and other health hazard surveillance systems in the future.