An exploratory study of disease surveillance systems in Norway

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 368-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika A Johansen ◽  
Jeremiah Scholl ◽  
Gudleif Aronsen ◽  
Gunnar Hartvigsen ◽  
Johan G Bellika
Keyword(s):  
Distributed System ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Electronic Record ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Correct Interpretation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Serious Disease

We conducted a qualitative study of the system for contagious disease surveillance in Norway. Semi-structured interviews were held with five general practitioners (GPs), including one person responsible for informing GPs in their region about potentially serious disease outbreaks. The interviews suggested that the existing system had several limitations, making it of little relevance to local epidemics or daily medical practice. Specifically, it was difficult and time-consuming for physicians to locate relevant information, and there was a substantial delay between reported diagnoses and eventual feedback about outbreaks. This resulted in information that was too old to be of value. The interviews also investigated design matters related to future realtime disease surveillance systems. The GPs expressed interest in a distributed system for realtime extraction and presentation of data from electronic record systems. They required that any such system be customizable to the specific needs of the doctor in order to be relevant in day-to-day practice, and that correct interpretation of data would be possible in the minimum of time.

scholarly journals An analecta of visualizations for foodborne illness trends and seasonality

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan B. Simpson ◽  
Bingjie Zhou ◽  
Tania M. Alarcon Falconi ◽  
Elena N. Naumova
Keyword(s):  
Visual Analytics ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Data Interpretation ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
The Us ◽  
Annual Time Series

Abstract Disease surveillance systems worldwide face increasing pressure to maintain and distribute data in usable formats supplemented with effective visualizations to enable actionable policy and programming responses. Annual reports and interactive portals provide access to surveillance data and visualizations depicting temporal trends and seasonal patterns of diseases. Analyses and visuals are typically limited to reporting the annual time series and the month with the highest number of cases per year. Yet, detecting potential disease outbreaks and supporting public health interventions requires detailed spatiotemporal comparisons to characterize spatiotemporal patterns of illness across diseases and locations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) FoodNet Fast provides population-based foodborne-disease surveillance records and visualizations for select counties across the US. We offer suggestions on how current FoodNet Fast data organization and visual analytics can be improved to facilitate data interpretation, decision-making, and communication of features related to trend and seasonality. The resulting compilation, or analecta, of 436 visualizations of records and codes are openly available online.

scholarly journals Laboratory-Guided Detection of Disease Outbreaks: Three Generations of Surveillance Systems

2009 ◽  
Vol 133 (6) ◽  
pp. 916-925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vitali Sintchenko ◽  
Blanca Gallego
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Public Health Monitoring ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Publication Language

Abstract Context.—Traditional biothreat surveillance systems are vulnerable to incomplete and delayed reporting of public health threats. Objective.—To review current and emerging approaches to detection and monitoring of biothreats enabled by laboratory methods of diagnosis and to identify trends in the biosurveillance research. Data Sources.—PubMed (1995 to December 2007) was searched with the combined search terms “surveillance” and “infectious diseases.” Additional articles were identified by hand searching the bibliographies of selected papers. Additional search terms were “public health,” “disease monitoring,” “cluster,” “outbreak,” “laboratory notification,” “molecular,” “detection,” “evaluation,” “genomics,” “communicable diseases,” “geographic information systems,” “bioterrorism,” “genotyping,” and “informatics.” Publication language was restricted to English. The bibliographies of key references were later hand searched to identify articles missing in the database search. Three approaches to infectious disease surveillance that involve clinical laboratories are contrasted: (1) laboratory-initiated infectious disease notifications, (2) syndromic surveillance based on health indicators, and (3) genotyping based surveillance of biothreats. Advances in molecular diagnostics enable rapid genotyping of biothreats and investigations of genes that were not previously identifiable by traditional methods. There is a need for coordination between syndromic and laboratory-based surveillance. Insufficient and delayed decision support and inadequate integration of surveillance signals into action plans remain the 2 main barriers to efficient public health monitoring and response. Decision support for public health users of biosurveillance alerts is often lacking. Conclusions.—The merger of the 3 scientific fields of surveillance, genomics, and informatics offers an opportunity for the development of effective and rapid biosurveillance methods and tools.

scholarly journals Global Impact and Implications of Covid-19: Call for Multi-Dimensional Perspectives towards Sustainable Solutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teddie O. Rahube
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Viral Disease ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Late Response ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Sustainable Solutions

The COVID-19 pandemic poses an enormous challenge, and it is evidently presenting itself as one of the greatest threats to humanity. The aim of this paper is to review the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global health impact and implications of COVID-19 relative to other recent viral disease outbreaks and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with the aim to propose the implementation of sustainable solutions. The magnitude of COVID-19 deaths is incomparable to other coronaviruses (CoVs) disease outbreaks experienced in recent history. The high number of deaths observed in developed countries compared to developing countries may have been triggered by the late response/preparedness to the pandemic rather than by the socio-economic statuses. CoVs will remain a serious health threat to humanity due to absence of vaccines and anti-viral treatments. The absence of specific treatment regimens also lead to heavy reliance on chemical disinfectants and could significantly contribute to the rise in AMR, further raising some important questions surrounding hygiene, microbes, ecosystem health and human diseases. The CEASE approach, comprising of five key elements; Communication, Education, Advocacy, Socialization, and Experimentation is proposed for implementation at a global level. CEASE approach is critical especially for African countries and can be used to further explore opportunities that can lead to improvements in sanitation, access to clean water, health care, education and infectious disease surveillance systems.

scholarly journals COVID-19 surveillance systems in 13 African countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 382-392
Author(s):  
Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi ◽  
Adrian Rabe ◽  
Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Pubmed Central ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Surveillance And Response ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Mortality Surveillance

Background: Surveillance forms the basis for response to disease outbreaks, including COVID-19. Herein, we identified the COVID-19 surveillance systems and the associated challenges in 13 African countries. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive narrative review of peer-reviewed literature published between January 2020 and April 2021 in PubMed, Medline, PubMed Central, and Google Scholar using predetermined search terms. Relevant studies from the search and other data sources on COVID-19 surveillance strategies and associated challenges in 13 African countries (Mauritius, Algeria, Nigeria, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, and Uganda) were identified and reviewed. Results: Our findings revealed that the selected African countries have ramped up COVID-19 surveillance ranging from immediate case notification, virological surveillance, hospital-based surveillance to mortality surveillance among others. Despite this, there exist variations in the level of implementation of the surveillance systems across countries. Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy is also being leveraged in some African countries, but the implementation across countries remains uneven. Our study also revealed various challenges facing surveillance which included shortage of skilled human resources resulting in poor data management, weak health systems, complexities of ethical considerations, diagnostic insufficiency, the burden of co-epidemic surveillance, and geographical barriers, among others. Conclusion: With the variations in the level of implementation of COVID-19 surveillance strategies seen across countries, it is pertinent to ensure proper coordination of the surveillance activities in the African countries and address all the challenges facing COVID-19 surveillance using tailored strategies.

scholarly journals Big Data, Algorithmic Governmentality and the Regulation of Pandemic Risk

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-115
Author(s):  
Stephen L ROBERTS
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Infectious Disease Surveillance ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The Government ◽  
Processing Techniques

This article investigates the rise of algorithmic disease surveillance systems as novel technologies of risk analysis utilised to regulate pandemic outbreaks in an era of big data. Critically, the article demonstrates how intensified efforts towards harnessing big data and the application of algorithmic processing techniques to enhance the real-time surveillance and regulation infectious disease outbreaks significantly transform practices of global infectious disease surveillance; observed through the advent of novel risk rationalities which underpin the deployment of intensifying algorithmic practices to increasingly colonise and patrol emergent topographies of data in order to identify and govern the emergence of exceptional pathogenic risks. Conceptually, this article asserts further howthe rise of these novel risk regulating technologies within a context of big data transforms the government and forecasting of epidemics and pandemics: illustrated by the rise of emergent algorithmic governmentalties of risk within contemporary contexts of big data, disease surveillance and the regulation of pandemic.

scholarly journals The lessons of COVID-19 pandemic for communicable diseases surveillance system: A qualitative study in the Kurdistan region-Iraq

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soran Amin Hamalaw ◽  
Ali Hattem Bayati ◽  
Muhammed Babakir-Mina ◽  
Amirhossein Takian
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Communicable Disease ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Kurdistan Region ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
System A ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Training And Supervision

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has revealed a series of unprecedented challenges to Communicable Disease Surveillance Systems (CDSS) globally. This study aimed to determine the opportunities of and barriers to CDSS during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the extent to which the disease integrated into the CDSS in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Methods A descriptive qualitative approach was applied. We conducted 7 semi-structured interviews and one focus group discussions (FGD) with purposefully identified Key Informants (KI) from June to December 2020. All interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. We adopted a mixed deductive-inductive approach for thematic analysis of data, facilitated by using MAXQDA20 software for data management. Results Although the CDSS was considered appropriate and flexible, the COVID-19 was interpreted not to be integrated into the system due to political concerns. The lack of epidemic preparedness, timeliness, and partial cessation of training and supervision during the pandemic were the main concerns regarding core and support activities. The existence of reasonable surveillance infrastructure, i.e. trained staff was identified as an opportunity for improvement. The main challenges include: staff deficiency, absence of motivation and financial support for present staff, scarce logistics, managerial and administrative issues, and lack of cooperation, particularly among stakeholders and surveillance staff. Conclusion Our findings revealed that due to political barriers, COVID-19 was not integrated into the CDSS. It also highlighted the main facilitators of and barriers to CDSS in the region. We advocate health authorities and policy-makers to prioritize the surveillance and effective management of communicable diseases.

Dengue surveillance by proxy: travellers as sentinels for outbreaks in the Pacific Islands

2013 ◽  
Vol 141 (11) ◽  
pp. 2328-2334 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. LAU ◽  
P. WEINSTEIN ◽  
D. SLANEY
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Dengue Outbreaks ◽  
Arboviral Diseases ◽  
Global Systems

SUMMARYSensitive surveillance systems are crucial for effective control of infectious disease outbreaks, and regional surveillance could provide valuable data to supplement global systems, improve sensitivity and timeliness of reporting, or capture otherwise undetected outbreaks. In New Zealand (NZ), there are no endemic arboviral diseases in humans, and the majority of dengue cases are imported from neighbouring Pacific Islands where comprehensive surveillance systems are under development. From 1997 to 2009, 679 cases of dengue were reported in NZ (74·2% acquired from the Pacific Islands), and the patterns of reported incidence of dengue acquired from different islands closely reflected local reported incidence in those areas. NZ is therefore in a unique position to provide early alerts on dengue outbreaks in the Pacific Islands. Such a strategy would reduce disease burden in both the Pacific Islands and NZ, and provide a model for transnational collaboration in disease surveillance with regional as well as global benefits.

Patients’ Perceptions and Attitudes Regarding the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic (PAC) at the National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: An Exploratory Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghdeer Tashkandi ◽  
Samina Abidi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
National Guard ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Quantitative Research Methods ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Educational Information

BACKGROUND Preoperative services and education allow patients to take an active role in their recovery and reduce the risk of post-operative complications. Exploring patients’ perceptions and attitudes regarding pre-anesthesia services and education helps reveal gaps in patients’ uptake of them so that targeted educational interventions can be designed and implemented. OBJECTIVE This is an exploratory study aimed at increasing the understanding of patients’ perceptions and concerns about and the adequacy of the pre-anesthesia services and educational content provided to them at the pre-anesthesia clinic (PAC) of the National Guard Hospital (NGH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The information gathered will be used to design and develop an electronic patient education system that will allow patients to access personalized, evidence-based pre-anesthesia information relevant to their upcoming surgeries. METHODS Quantitative research methods are used to collect relevant information from patients using a closed-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire includes items on demographics, patients’ perceptions and concerns regarding anesthesia, and the assessment of pre-anesthesia information adequacy. RESULTS Our results showed that 94% of the participants consider the PAC very important, and more than half of the participants (56%) were interested in receiving additional educational information about anesthesia via mobile applications. While 100% of the participants were satisfied with the information and services provided at the clinic, the assessment of this information and service adequacy indicated that participants were not adequately informed about anesthesia. Among the most common anesthesia-related concerns were the inability to wake up after anesthesia, becoming paralyzed after spinal anesthesia, the possibility of staying in the ICU after the surgery and developing back pain. CONCLUSIONS This gathered information will be used to design and develop an educational intervention that will deliver evidence-based, personalized and easy to understand educational instructions to patients to better prepare them for their upcoming surgery. The proposed system will overcome the problems of (i) the spread of generalized unrelated educational information and instructions, (ii) patients forgetting or misunderstanding the given instructions, (iii) issues with the accessibility of information, and (iv) a lack of communication and interaction between patients and their anesthetist.

Building a digital marketing internship program for technology-based start-ups: an exploratory study of student experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Russell Merz ◽  
Jamie Ward ◽  
Sufian Qrunfleh ◽  
Bud Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Interns ◽  
Internship Programs ◽  
Blog Posts

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the role and characteristics of the summer internship program (Digital Summer Clinic) delivered by Eastern Michigan University. The authors report the results of an exploratory study of interns participating in the Digital Summer Clinic over a five-year time period. The study captures and analyzes the experiences of interns as expressed in structured interviews and blog posts.Design/methodology/approachThe study data were text from structured interviews and blog posts capturing the “voice” of the interns. A natural language processing (NLP) analysis of the text corpus, consisting of 43 interviews and blog posts, resulted in the identification of 242 unique stem-terms used by interns in describing the internship experiences. The authors used the JMP Pro 15.2 Text Explorer algorithm (It is defined as a suite of computer programs for statistical analysis developed by the JMP business unit of SAS Institute) to extract the terms that were subsequently transformed and analyzed with factor analysis and regression to address the research questions.FindingsThe factor analysis results found six dimensions or themes, defined by the stem-terms used by student interns, best described the internship experience. The authors then explored the relationship between the six themes and the umbrella term “internship” with multiple regression analysis. The regression findings suggest a hierarchy of effects with the theme “Introducing Professional Opportunities” being the theme most predictive of the umbrella term.Originality/valueThe methodology used within the paper is unique in several ways when compared to other research investigating internship programs. First, it uses NLP analysis for the qualitative analysis of text-based descriptions of student experiences over a five-year time horizon. Second, the data analysis uses transformed text to quantitatively determine the major dimensions or themes expressed by the interns about their experiences in the Summer Clinic program. Finally, the relative importance of the themes identified provided direction for future program development.

A Qualitative Analysis of Factors Affecting the Successful Completion of Postgraduate Studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 152-161
Author(s):  
Abdul Munir Ismail Et.al
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Successful Completion ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Postgraduate Studies ◽  
Research Findings

The study aims to highlight the current learning approaches used by postgraduate students to complete their postgraduate studies on time, as studies have shown many students have failed to finish their studies as planned. In particular, this study focuses on factors and methods that are perceived to be most effective by students to help them complete their studies on time.  Methodology: Thisstudy was based on a qualitative approach involving semi-structured interviews. The study sample consisted of 14 postgraduate students and one lecturers as respondents. The research instrument was based on interview questions to elicit relevant information on their demography and learning practices. Data were collected and organized into four themes and were subsequently analyzed descriptively.     Findings: The findings showed that face-to-face discussions were the most popular practice adopted by the respondents. The findings also showed several factors had significant impacts on student learning, such as interpersonal relationships between students and supervisors, commitment, financial commitment, and moral support, which needs to be taken into account in helping students to complete on time.     Significance: The research findings can inform all the stakeholders, notably students, supervisors, and administrative officers, factors that have profound impacts on postgraduate students’ efforts to graduate on time.

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