title: Assessment of a syndromic surveillance system based on morbidity data: results from the Oscour network during a heat wave.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Syndromic surveillance systems have been developed in recent years and are now increasingly used by stakeholders to quickly answer questions and make important decisions. It is therefore essential to evaluate the quality and utility of such systems. This study was designed to assess a syndromic surveillance system based on emergency departments' (ED) morbidity rates related to the health effects of heat waves. This study uses data collected during the 2006 heat wave in France.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data recorded from 15 EDs in the Ile-de-France (Paris and surrounding area) from June to August, 2006, were transmitted daily via the Internet to the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance. Items collected included diagnosis (ICD10), outcome, and age. Several aspects of the system have been evaluated (data quality, cost, flexibility, stability, and performance). Periods of heat wave are considered the most suitable time to evaluate the system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data quality did not vary significantly during the period. Age, gender and outcome were completed in a comprehensive manner. Diagnoses were missing or uninformative for 37.5% of patients. Stability was recorded as being 99.49% for the period overall. The average cost per day over the study period was estimated to be euro287. Diagnoses of hyperthermia, malaise, dehydration, hyponatremia were correlated with increased temperatures. Malaise was most sensitive in younger and elderly adults but also the less specific. However, overall syndrome groups were more sensitive with comparable specificity than individual diagnoses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This system satisfactorily detected the health impact of hot days (observed values were higher than expected on more than 90% of days on which a heat alert was issued). Our findings should reassure stakeholders about the reliability of health impact assessments during or following such an event. These evaluations are essential to establish the validity of the results of syndromic surveillance systems.
authors: Department of Alert Coordination and Regions, French Institute for Public Health Surveillance, Saint Maurice, France. l.josseran@invs.sante.fr
authors: Loïc
authors: L
authors: Josseran
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Fouillet
authors: Nadège
authors: N
authors: Caillère
authors: Dominique
authors: D
authors: Brun-Ney
authors: Danièle
authors: D
authors: Ilef
authors: Gilles
authors: G
authors: Brucker
authors: Helena
authors: H
authors: Medeiros
authors: Pascal
authors: P
authors: Astagneau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012107:Research Design; D012621:Seasons; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013577:Syndrome; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult