Public Health Surveillance for Zika Virus: Data Interpretation and Report Validity.
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| Title: | Public Health Surveillance for Zika Virus: Data Interpretation and Report Validity. |
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| Authors: | Piltch-Loeb, Rachael (AUTHOR), Kraemer, John (AUTHOR), Lin, Kenneth W. (AUTHOR), Stoto, Michael A. (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | American Journal of Public Health. Oct2018, Vol. 108 Issue 10, p1358-1362. 5p. |
| Subjects: | Zika virus infections, Attitude (Psychology), Medical personnel, Public health surveillance, Patients' attitudes, Zika virus, Diagnosis |
| Abstract: | Zika virus provides an example for which public health surveillance is based primarily on health care provider notifications to health departments of potential cases. This case-based surveillance is commonly used to understand the spread of disease in a population. However, case-based surveillance is often biased—whether testing is done and which tests are used and the accuracy of the results depend on a variety of factors including test availability, patient demand, perceptions of transmission, and patient and provider awareness, leading to surveillance artifacts that can provide misleading information on the spread of a disease in a population and have significant public health practice implications. To better understand this challenge, we first summarize the process that health departments use to generate surveillance reports, then describe factors influencing testing and reporting patterns at the patient, provider, and contextual level. We then describe public health activities, including active surveillance, that influence both patient and provider behavior as well as surveillance reports, and conclude with a discussion about the interpretation of surveillance data and approaches that could improve the validity of surveillance reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of American Journal of Public Health is the property of American Public Health Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Zika virus provides an example for which public health surveillance is based primarily on health care provider notifications to health departments of potential cases. This case-based surveillance is commonly used to understand the spread of disease in a population. However, case-based surveillance is often biased—whether testing is done and which tests are used and the accuracy of the results depend on a variety of factors including test availability, patient demand, perceptions of transmission, and patient and provider awareness, leading to surveillance artifacts that can provide misleading information on the spread of a disease in a population and have significant public health practice implications. To better understand this challenge, we first summarize the process that health departments use to generate surveillance reports, then describe factors influencing testing and reporting patterns at the patient, provider, and contextual level. We then describe public health activities, including active surveillance, that influence both patient and provider behavior as well as surveillance reports, and conclude with a discussion about the interpretation of surveillance data and approaches that could improve the validity of surveillance reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 00900036 |
| DOI: | 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304525 |
