Virtual surveillance of communicable diseases: a 20-year experience in France

Inserm has developed, since 1984, an information system based on a computer network of physiciansin France. It allows for constitution of large databases on diseases, with individual description of cases,and to explore some aspects of the mathematical theory of communicable diseases. We developed userfriendlyinterfaces for remote data entry and GIS tools providing real-time atlas of the epidemiologicsituation in any location. The continuous and ongoing surveillance network is constituted of abou ...