How should HIV/AIDS surveillance data be used?
HIV and AIDS data should be used to monitor changing epidemiologic trends in incidence and outcomes, assist in formulating public health policy, document the need for services, and direct available resources for targeted prevention interventions for persons with HIV. This is done through the use of aggregate data. Aggregate data include summary statistics compiled from personal information, but grouped to preclude identification of individual cases. For example, the number and characteristics of persons living with HIV by geographic area may be used to determine the distribution of local care services or assess the need for drug assistance programs. HIV data may also be used to set priorities among areas and groups at risk that might benefit from targeted HIV testing and counseling programs. Together with local community advisory groups, health departments may determine that another appropriate use of surveillance data is to use individual-level data from HIV surveillance registries to
