Case Investigation Metrics

Understanding the Case Investigation Metrics

Investigation and contact tracing are two of the key strategies that public health authorities use to contain communicable diseases. Monitoring and evaluation of these activities provides critical feedback about bottle necks and how to improve the process. This information can also be used to guide future interventions and policies aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Hawaii.

Some of the motivating questions used in the development of the evaluation process include:

  1. What percent of cases that are reported are reached?
  2. What prevents investigators from successfully reaching cases that are reported?
  3. How quickly are cases reached once they are reported?

The Hawaii Department of Health is answering these questions using three metrics:

  1. Percent of Cases Ever Reached – shows the proportion of the total reported cases that were successfully reached
  2. Barriers to Reaching Cases – shows the different reasons why people who test positive are not successfully reached
  3. Timeliness – shows the proportion of cases reached within different time periods

To learn more about how case investigation and contact tracing can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Hawaii, visit What the Hawaii Department of Health is Doing