How does active surveillance differ from passive surveillance in the context of HAI detection?

Active surveillance involves trained professionals actively seeking out HAIs through regular assessments and record reviews, making it more sensitive but costly. Passive surveillance relies on reports from healthcare staff or laboratory data, which can lead to missed cases and delayed outbreak identification.

Active surveillance is characterized by the proactive involvement of trained infection control professionals who regularly visit patient wards or review medical records to identify healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). This method is more sensitive and thorough, as it involves direct observation and assessment of patients at risk. However, it is resource-intensive, requiring significant time and trained personnel. In contrast, passive surveillance depends on reports from healthcare providers or laboratory data without systematic data collection, which can result in underreporting and delayed detection of outbreaks. While passive surveillance is less costly, it often misses cases that do not meet standardized criteria or are not reported promptly.