tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
PLoS One. 2013 Apr 17;8(4):e61644. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061644. Print 2013.
The validity of self-initiated, event-driven infectious disease reporting in general population cohorts.
Merk H, K?hlmann-Berenzon S, Bexelius C, Sandin S, Litton JE, Linde A, Nyr?n O.
Source
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden ; Department of Analysis and Prevention, Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control, Solna, Sweden.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The 2009/2010 pandemic influenza highlighted the need for valid and timely incidence data. In 2007 we started the development of a passive surveillance scheme based on passive follow-up of representative general population cohorts. Cohort members are asked to spontaneously report all instances of colds and fevers as soon as they occur for up to 9 months. Suspecting that compliance might be poor, we aimed to assess the validity of self-initiated, event-driven outcome reporting over long periods.
METHODS:
During two 8 week periods in 2008 and 2009, 2376 and 2514 cohort members in Stockholm County were sent one-week recall questionnaires, which served as reference method.
RESULTS:
The questionnaires were completed by 88% and 86% of the cohort members. Whilst the false positive proportion (1-specificity) in the reporting was low (upper bound of the 95% confidence interval [CI] ≤2% in each season), the false negative proportion (failure to report, 1-sensitivity) was considerable (60% [95% CI 52%-67%] in each season). Still, the resulting epidemic curves for influenza-like illness compared well with those from existing General Practitioner-based sentinel surveillance in terms of shape, timing of peak, and year-to-year variation. This suggested that the error was fairly constant.
CONCLUSIONS:
Passive long-term surveillance through self-initiated, event-driven outcome reporting underestimates incidence rates of common upper respiratory tract infections. However, because underreporting appears predictable, simple corrections could potentially restore validity.
PMID:
23613891
[PubMed - in process]
PMCID:
PMC3629155
Free full text
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23613891
The validity of self-initiated, event-driven infectious disease reporting in general population cohorts.
Merk H, K?hlmann-Berenzon S, Bexelius C, Sandin S, Litton JE, Linde A, Nyr?n O.
Source
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden ; Department of Analysis and Prevention, Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control, Solna, Sweden.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The 2009/2010 pandemic influenza highlighted the need for valid and timely incidence data. In 2007 we started the development of a passive surveillance scheme based on passive follow-up of representative general population cohorts. Cohort members are asked to spontaneously report all instances of colds and fevers as soon as they occur for up to 9 months. Suspecting that compliance might be poor, we aimed to assess the validity of self-initiated, event-driven outcome reporting over long periods.
METHODS:
During two 8 week periods in 2008 and 2009, 2376 and 2514 cohort members in Stockholm County were sent one-week recall questionnaires, which served as reference method.
RESULTS:
The questionnaires were completed by 88% and 86% of the cohort members. Whilst the false positive proportion (1-specificity) in the reporting was low (upper bound of the 95% confidence interval [CI] ≤2% in each season), the false negative proportion (failure to report, 1-sensitivity) was considerable (60% [95% CI 52%-67%] in each season). Still, the resulting epidemic curves for influenza-like illness compared well with those from existing General Practitioner-based sentinel surveillance in terms of shape, timing of peak, and year-to-year variation. This suggested that the error was fairly constant.
CONCLUSIONS:
Passive long-term surveillance through self-initiated, event-driven outcome reporting underestimates incidence rates of common upper respiratory tract infections. However, because underreporting appears predictable, simple corrections could potentially restore validity.
PMID:
23613891
[PubMed - in process]
PMCID:
PMC3629155
Free full text
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23613891