Which statement describes a drawback of concurrent surveillance?

• A. Too little data can obscure evidence
• B. There is a delay in accessing data
• C. Too much data can obscure evidence
• D. There may be mislabeling of records

Answer: (C)

Concurrent surveillance aims to catch infections as they happen by collecting and analyzing data in real time. The main drawback is the sheer volume of information this can generate. When you pull data from many sources—lab results, patient movements, environmental readings, staff schedules—the amount of data can become so large that the real signals of an outbreak or unusual transmission pattern get buried in noise. This data deluge makes it harder to spot true clusters quickly, increases the risk of missing important trends, and can slow decision making unless there are effective filters, dashboards, and predefined triggers to highlight meaningful changes.

While delays in data access or mislabeling of records are important considerations, the most fundamental challenge with concurrent surveillance is managing the overwhelming volume of data so that the evidence remains clear and actionable.