FROM LATE NOTIFICATION TO REAL-TIME MONITORING: TECHNOLOGICAL RE-ADAPTATION IN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE

Abstract

Introduction: Epidemiological surveillance is one of the fundamental pillars of public health, enabling the early detection of diseases, the analysis of trends, and the implementation of timely prevention and control measures (Cruz et al., 2024). In the context of acute diarrheal diseases, especially in tourist municipalities, the speed in recognizing unusual patterns is crucial, given the high population turnover and the potential for spread through contaminated food and water. In this municipality, considered small and economically prominent in the tourism sector, monitoring was carried out using physical spreadsheets distributed at the basic health unit and hospital, which contained summarized data such as patient initials, age group, and neighborhood of residence. However, these records were sent to surveillance only once a week, which compromised the early detection of outbreaks and conditioned the response to the subjective perception of health professionals (Ferraz et al., 2024). Given this weakness, a redesign of the reporting process was designed using accessible digital technologies to optimize the flow of information, reduce response time, and strengthen real-time situational analysis capabilities. Objective: To present the creation and implementation of a digital tool, built by linking an electronic form to an automated spreadsheet, for the continuous monitoring of diarrhea cases in a small tourist town in the interior of Santa Catarina. Methodology: This is a digital health experience report conducted within the scope of municipal epidemiological surveillance. The process consisted of developing an electronic form, available on a free platform, that included not only the basic information required for reporting cases, such as the patient's initials, age group, and neighborhood, but also variables relevant to the epidemiological investigation, such as places frequented, residential address, occurrence of symptoms in family members, foods consumed, and other exposures considered to be at risk. The form was linked to an auto-filling digital spreadsheet, allowing for systematic data organization. To ensure routine use of the tool, access was made available on the healthcare unit's desktop computers, facilitating immediate completion. Furthermore, instant notifications were configured so that each new record was promptly communicated to the surveillance team, enabling real-time monitoring. Results and discussion: The implementation of the tool resulted in significant transformations in the epidemiological surveillance process. The communication frequency was changed from weekly to instantaneous, which significantly increased the team's responsiveness. This time shift allowed for greater agility in detecting outbreaks and adopting containment measures. Furthermore, the tool contributed to the standardization and completeness of notifications, reducing the loss of relevant information and improving the quality of the database. Greater engagement was also observed among healthcare professionals, who began to record cases more quickly and effectively, fostering integration between care and surveillance. Another relevant aspect was the strengthening of epidemiological analysis, as the incorporation of contextual variables made it possible to quickly identify links between reported cases, such as frequency of public spaces, consumption of specific foods, and the occurrence of symptoms in members of the same family. This information favored the early formulation of diagnostic hypotheses, the direction of field teams for sample collection, and immediate communication with higher authorities. From a digital health perspective, these results highlight the transformative potential of using simple and accessible technologies in health surveillance. The digitization of traditionally manual processes not only adds agility and accuracy but also expands the capacity for integration between different levels of care, promoting more horizontal and collaborative information flows. At the same time, it enables greater data traceability and the generation of high-quality historical data, strengthening the strategic role of health information as a management tool. In this sense, the reported experience aligns with the global movement of incorporating digital health as a structuring tool for achieving universal coverage and health equity (Muniz; Mota; Sousa, 2023). More than simply replacing paper with electronic media, the initiative represents progress in building more responsive, sustainable surveillance systems adapted to new epidemiological demands. This perspective is especially relevant in tourist destinations, where population dynamics demand rapid and effective responses, otherwise health risks may increase. Thus, the described tool reaffirms the importance of digital health as a strategic field for strengthening epidemiological surveillance and consolidating a more agile, integrated, and effective SUS (Unified Health System). Contributions of the work toward the Sustainable Development Goals: This work directly contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-being, particularly Target 3.d, which proposes "strengthening the capacity of all countries, particularly developing countries, for early warning, mitigation, and management of national and global health risks". The experience reported materializes this goal by strengthening local epidemiological surveillance capacity, allowing suspected cases of diarrheal diseases to be detected in real time, with immediate communication to the health team. This readjustment of the notification process not only enabled greater agility in responding to potential outbreaks but also improved the quality of epidemiological analysis, increasing the accuracy of prevention and control actions. By ensuring speed, standardization, and completeness of information, the implemented tool contributed to more effective public health practices, aligning with the global commitment to strengthening health surveillance systems as an essential element for protecting life and achieving health equity. Final considerations: The adoption of the digital spreadsheet linked to an electronic form enabled the strategic (re)adaptation of epidemiological surveillance processes in the municipality, improving data collection and analysis, reducing response time, and increasing integration between health professionals and management. Although simple, this is a high-impact strategy, replicable across different realities within the Unified Health System, reaffirming the importance of digital health as an indispensable tool for promoting health security and strengthening public health policies.