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Epidemiol Infect. 2017 Jul 20:1-7. doi: 10.1017/S0950268817001467. [Epub ahead of print]
Pandemic-related health behavior: repeat episodes of influenza-like illness related to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.
Mgbere O1, Ngo K2, Khuwaja S1, Mouzoon M3, Greisinger A4, Arafat R1, Markee J3.
Author information
Abstract
The Houston Health Department (HHD) in Texas tracks influenza-like illness (ILI) in the community through its Influenza Sentinel Surveillance Program, which began in 2008. After the influenza A(H1N1) pandemic (pH1N1) in 2009, investigators sought to assess the feasibility of this program as a non-traditional data source for tracking and monitoring care-seeking activities. Through the process of characterizing and describing patients who had 'return visits', or who were considered the heaviest ILI-related care-utilizers, the investigators sought to understand the strengths and limitations of this data source. Data used for this study were obtained from a multispecialty clinic in Houston, Texas between August 2008 and January 2011 across three phases: pre-pH1N1, pH1N1, and post-pH1N1. The data, which comprised of 4047 patient visits, yielded 150 return visits. We found an increase in the number of visits for ILI and proportion of return visits during the pandemic phase (pH1N1), as well as differences in the likelihood of a return visit between genders and age groups. More broadly, the findings of this study provide important considerations for future research and expose important gaps in using surveillance data to assess sick-role behaviors.
KEYWORDS:
H1N1; Influenza-like illness; Sentinel Surveillance; care utilization; care-seeking behavior
PMID: 28726598 DOI: 10.1017/S0950268817001467
Pandemic-related health behavior: repeat episodes of influenza-like illness related to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.
Mgbere O1, Ngo K2, Khuwaja S1, Mouzoon M3, Greisinger A4, Arafat R1, Markee J3.
Author information
Abstract
The Houston Health Department (HHD) in Texas tracks influenza-like illness (ILI) in the community through its Influenza Sentinel Surveillance Program, which began in 2008. After the influenza A(H1N1) pandemic (pH1N1) in 2009, investigators sought to assess the feasibility of this program as a non-traditional data source for tracking and monitoring care-seeking activities. Through the process of characterizing and describing patients who had 'return visits', or who were considered the heaviest ILI-related care-utilizers, the investigators sought to understand the strengths and limitations of this data source. Data used for this study were obtained from a multispecialty clinic in Houston, Texas between August 2008 and January 2011 across three phases: pre-pH1N1, pH1N1, and post-pH1N1. The data, which comprised of 4047 patient visits, yielded 150 return visits. We found an increase in the number of visits for ILI and proportion of return visits during the pandemic phase (pH1N1), as well as differences in the likelihood of a return visit between genders and age groups. More broadly, the findings of this study provide important considerations for future research and expose important gaps in using surveillance data to assess sick-role behaviors.
KEYWORDS:
H1N1; Influenza-like illness; Sentinel Surveillance; care utilization; care-seeking behavior
PMID: 28726598 DOI: 10.1017/S0950268817001467