Health Tracking & Disease Clusters: The Lack of Data on Chronic Disease Incidence and its Impact on Cluster Investigation

Publication Date: September 2002

Publisher:

Author(s): Jeremiah Baumann; Tony Dutzik

Research Area: Environment; Health

Keywords: toxics

Type: Report

Abstract:

Each year, more than 1,000 calls are placed to public health officials regarding suspected local disease clusters in which investigators are called upon to determine whether rates of a disease in a particular community truly are excessive--and whether environmental exposures are to blame. To succeed in cluster investigations, researchers need complete, up-to-date information on the incidence of disease in a community; data that are typically collected in a disease registry or other health tracking system. In many states, however, accurate tracking systems for chronic disease do not exist. This report details the real-life costs of this knowledge gap as it relates to the investigation of 14 suspected disease clusters over the past decade.