title: Evaluation of a communications campaign to increase physician reporting to a surveillance system.
abstract: While all states have regulations requiring reporting of diseases from healthcare professionals and facilities, underreporting is substantial. To improve reporting to the New York State (NYS) Occupational Lung Disease Registry (OLDR), the NYS Department of Health's Bureau of Occupational Health initiated a multimedia campaign to increase case ascertainment and establish communication channels and partnerships for conducting prevention. The outreach campaign was successful in raising physician awareness about the OLDR, familiarizing physicians with reporting forms and procedures, and increasing physician reporting. It also raised awareness of the contribution of occupational factors to respiratory illness and other conditions. However, while our evaluation indicated it is possible to affect short-term outcomes, such as knowledge, attitudes, and behavior among health-care providers, the campaign was not as successful in promoting sustained reporting.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Surveillance Section, Bureau of Occupational Health, New York State Department of Health, 547 River St., Room 230, Troy, NY 12180, USA. khg01@health.state.ny.us
authors.forename: Kitty H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Gelberg
authors.forename: Ian F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Brissette
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cummings
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D033161:Government Regulation; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010820:Physicians / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012042:Registries; D013219:State Government