Risk Assessment During the Pan American and Parapan American Games, Toronto, 2015

Abstract

During the summer of 2015, the Pan American and Parapan American Games took place in the Greater Toronto area of Ontario, Canada, bringing together thousands of athletes and spectators from around the world. The Acute Care Enhanced Surveillance (ACES) system—a syndromic surveillance system that captures comprehensive hospital visit triage information from acute care hospitals across Ontario—monitored distinct syndromes throughout the games. We describe the creation and use of a risk assessment tool to evaluate alerts produced by ACES during this period. During the games, ACES generated 1420 alerts, 4 of which were considered a moderate risk and were communicated to surveillance partners for further action. The risk assessment tool was useful for public health professionals responsible for surveillance activities during the games. Next steps include integrating the tool within the ACES system.