Epidemiology: surveillance: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

PSM · Epidemiology: surveillance

Sample item

A health department wishes to monitor the trend of HIV prevalence in the general population cheaply by repeatedly testing blood from pregnant women at selected antenatal clinics. Which type of surveillance is this?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Sentinel surveillance

Sentinel surveillance collects data from selected sites or populations that act as indicators of the disease trend in a wider community. It is economical and well suited to HIV prevalence trends, but it does not give the exact burden. Passive surveillance depends on routine reporting by all facilities, and active surveillance involves health staff searching for cases.

Option by option

  • A. Passive surveillance

    Passive surveillance relies on routine reports sent by all facilities, without selected sites.

  • B. Syndromic surveillance

    Syndromic surveillance monitors symptom patterns such as fever with rash before laboratory confirmation.

  • C. Sentinel surveillance (correct)

    Correct. Repeated data from selected antenatal clinics serve as sentinel sites for the population trend.

  • D. Active surveillance

    Active surveillance means staff go out to look for cases, as in house-to-house searches during an outbreak.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More PSM questions

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is C, Sentinel surveillance. Sentinel surveillance collects data from selected sites or populations that act as indicators of the disease trend in a wider community.

Why is "Passive surveillance" not the answer?

Passive surveillance relies on routine reports sent by all facilities, without selected sites.

Why is "Syndromic surveillance" not the answer?

Syndromic surveillance monitors symptom patterns such as fever with rash before laboratory confirmation.

Why is "Active surveillance" not the answer?

Active surveillance means staff go out to look for cases, as in house-to-house searches during an outbreak.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Epidemiology: surveillance in PSM. It is economical and well suited to HIV prevalence trends, but it does not give the exact burden. Passive surveillance depends on routine reporting by all facilities, and active surveillance involves health staff searching for cases.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Epidemiology: surveillance?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.