Developing and piloting an interactive syphilis surveillance dashboard through user-centred design: An implementation report from Interior Health, British Columbia.

Abstract

Background: Syphilis rates have risen in Canada and British Columbia (BC), increasing the need for timely, small-area intelligence. In BC, 1,983 cases of infectious syphilis were reported in 2024, representing a rate of 34.8 cases per 100,000 population. An additional 27 cases of congenital syphilis were also confirmed. Routine quarterly reporting limits responsiveness when incidence shifts quickly.

Objective: To describe the development, implementation, and early evaluation of an interactive surveillance dashboard for syphilis in Interior Health (IH), delivering monthly indicators at the Local Health Area (LHA) level.

Methods: An internal dashboard was developed using user-centred design and iterative stakeholder engagement. The dashboard integrates case, testing, and denominator data to display monthly indicators, 12-month trends, and LHA-level patterns, with role-based access and privacy safeguards for authorized users.

Results: Perceived usefulness, simplicity, and acceptability were assessed using Likert ratings and structured feedback. In a pilot with 11 users across key IH program groups, overall impression, ease of use, usefulness, and program fit were rated 5.0/5, 4.9/5, 4.9/5, and 4.6/5 (n=8-9). Users described value for prioritizing LHAs, planning interventions, and briefing decision-makers.

Conclusion: An interactive, LHA-level dashboard was feasible within existing systems and acceptable to pilot users, with perceived improvements in timeliness and clarity. Effects on downstream public health outcomes remain to be evaluated. The approach may be transferable to similar jurisdictions.