tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
BMC Public Health. 2016 Sep 27;16(1):1017.
[h=1]Evaluation of self-swabbing coupled with a telephone health helpline as an adjunct tool for surveillance of influenza viruses in Ontario.[/h] McGolrick D[SUP]1[/SUP], Belanger P[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], Richardson H[SUP]1[/SUP], Moore K[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], Maier A[SUP]2[/SUP], Majury A[SUP]3,[/SUP][SUP]4[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]
[h=3]Abstract[/h] [h=4]BACKGROUND:[/h] Calls to a telephone health helpline (THHL) have been previously evaluated for the ability to monitor specific syndromes, such as fever and influenza-like-illness or gastrointestinal illness. This method of surveillance has been shown to be highly correlated with traditional surveillance methods, and to have potential for early detection of community-based illness. Self-sampling, or having a person take his/her own nasal swab, has also proven successful as a useful method for obtaining a specimen, which may be used for respiratory virus detection.
[h=4]METHODS:[/h] This study describes a self-swabbing surveillance system mediated by a nurse-led THHL in Ontario whereby syndromic surveillance concepts are used to recruit and monitor participants with influenza-like illness. Once recruited, participants collect a nasal specimen obtained by self-swabbing and submit for testing and laboratory confirmation. Enumeration of weekly case counts was used to evaluate the timeliness of the self-swabbing surveillance system through comparison to other respiratory virus and influenza surveillance systems in Ontario. The operational efficiency of the system was also evaluated.
[h=4]RESULTS:[/h] The mean and median number of days between the day that a participant called the THHL, to the day a package was received at the laboratory for testing were approximately 10.4 and 8.6 days, respectively. The time between self-swab collection and package reception was 4.9 days on average, with a median of 4 days. The self-swabbing surveillance system adequately captured the 2014 influenza B season in a timely manner when compared to other Ontario-based sources of influenza surveillance data from the same year; however, the emergence of influenza B was not detected any earlier than with these other surveillance systems. Influenza A surveillance was also evaluated. Using the THHL self-swabbing system, a peak in the number of cases for influenza A was observed approximately one week after or during the same week as that reported by the other surveillance systems.
[h=4]CONCLUSION:[/h] This one-year pilot study suggests that the THHL self-swabbing surveillance system has significant potential as an adjunct tool for the surveillance of influenza viruses in Ontario. Recommendations for improving system efficacy are discussed.
[h=4]KEYWORDS:[/h] Community-based; Influenza viruses; Ontario; Respiratory viruses; Self-swabbing; Surveillance
PMID: 27677310 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3674-9
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher] Free full text
[h=1]Evaluation of self-swabbing coupled with a telephone health helpline as an adjunct tool for surveillance of influenza viruses in Ontario.[/h] McGolrick D[SUP]1[/SUP], Belanger P[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], Richardson H[SUP]1[/SUP], Moore K[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], Maier A[SUP]2[/SUP], Majury A[SUP]3,[/SUP][SUP]4[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]
[h=3]Abstract[/h] [h=4]BACKGROUND:[/h] Calls to a telephone health helpline (THHL) have been previously evaluated for the ability to monitor specific syndromes, such as fever and influenza-like-illness or gastrointestinal illness. This method of surveillance has been shown to be highly correlated with traditional surveillance methods, and to have potential for early detection of community-based illness. Self-sampling, or having a person take his/her own nasal swab, has also proven successful as a useful method for obtaining a specimen, which may be used for respiratory virus detection.
[h=4]METHODS:[/h] This study describes a self-swabbing surveillance system mediated by a nurse-led THHL in Ontario whereby syndromic surveillance concepts are used to recruit and monitor participants with influenza-like illness. Once recruited, participants collect a nasal specimen obtained by self-swabbing and submit for testing and laboratory confirmation. Enumeration of weekly case counts was used to evaluate the timeliness of the self-swabbing surveillance system through comparison to other respiratory virus and influenza surveillance systems in Ontario. The operational efficiency of the system was also evaluated.
[h=4]RESULTS:[/h] The mean and median number of days between the day that a participant called the THHL, to the day a package was received at the laboratory for testing were approximately 10.4 and 8.6 days, respectively. The time between self-swab collection and package reception was 4.9 days on average, with a median of 4 days. The self-swabbing surveillance system adequately captured the 2014 influenza B season in a timely manner when compared to other Ontario-based sources of influenza surveillance data from the same year; however, the emergence of influenza B was not detected any earlier than with these other surveillance systems. Influenza A surveillance was also evaluated. Using the THHL self-swabbing system, a peak in the number of cases for influenza A was observed approximately one week after or during the same week as that reported by the other surveillance systems.
[h=4]CONCLUSION:[/h] This one-year pilot study suggests that the THHL self-swabbing surveillance system has significant potential as an adjunct tool for the surveillance of influenza viruses in Ontario. Recommendations for improving system efficacy are discussed.
[h=4]KEYWORDS:[/h] Community-based; Influenza viruses; Ontario; Respiratory viruses; Self-swabbing; Surveillance
PMID: 27677310 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3674-9
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher] Free full text