Summary
Objectives
Evaluate data available from a national voluntary reporting system and describe the
data processing necessary to enable the development and application of outbreak detection
methods in healthcare settings.
Methods
Evaluation was performed on an extract of data reported between March 2007 and May
2012. Reporting delays were calculated and analysed at the trust, regional and national
levels. Negative binomial regression analysis was performed to detect any changes
in laboratory reporting within this time.
Results
167 hospital laboratories have reported to the voluntary reporting system. 1,705,126
reports were made in the five-year study period. There is large variation in how laboratories
report to the system. Under half (44.9%) report in a timely manner, with >90% of infections
reported within three weeks of the specimen date. Overall, there was a significant
increase of 17.5% in reporting after October 2010 (95% CI 13.8–21.4%, p < 0.001) and an improvement in reporting delay, when new statutory reporting regulations
were introduced.
Conclusions
The outbreak detection algorithm used at the national and regional level requires
further modification to optimise outbreak detection for individual hospitals. For
any prospective outbreak detection system to perform optimally it is imperative that
laboratories ensure that the data they submit is complete, consistent and timely.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 22, 2013
Accepted:
July 12,
2013
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
ScienceDirect
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- Infectious disease surveillance in ChinaJournal of InfectionVol. 71Issue 6
- PreviewIn this journal, Freeman and colleagues described their evaluation of a national microbiological surveillance system for automated outbreak detection in England.1 The Chinese government had also established a similar surveillance system after the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003. That system is comprised of a web-based disease reporting system and the National Infectious Diseases Monitoring Information System Database. These resources have helped to strengthen the Chinese infectious disease prevention and control strategies.
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