The best way to track a novel or infectious disease is to use a highly configurable electronic disease surveillance system that lets users automate key processes. Without this technology, the act of collecting and organizing information as it relates to the outbreak can be daunting and time-consuming. The collected information must be easily shareable with authorized individuals while adhering to privacy requirements. These systems must also be scalable to accommodate a sudden increase in data if the outbreak should spread.
Communication between users and stakeholders is also key to the exchange of information. Parties should be able to ask questions and clarify key details during the reporting process, as each provider may have their own way of documenting cases. Since each disease may come with specific reporting requirements depending on how it spreads, users should be able to quickly customize the workflow process and reporting standards as they learn more about the disease and its effects on the local population.