title: Timeliness of electronic reporting and acceptability of public health follow-up of routine nonparatyphoidal and nontyphoidal Salmonella infections, London and South East England, 2010 to 2011.
abstract: Nonparatyphoidal and nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) infections are major causes of food poisoning in England. Diagnostic laboratories and clinicians have a statutory responsibility to report NTS infection cases to the Health Protection Agency via various means, with electronic reporting encouraged as the universal method. The Health Protection Agency (Public Health England since 1 April 2013) refers cases to environmental health departments for follow-up. Timeliness of reporting and adequacy of NTS infection case follow-up are key factors in the implementation of public health actions. Laboratories, health protection units, and environmental health departments in London and South East (SE) regions of England completed three surveys between December 2010 and April 2011, collecting data about the NTS infection case reporting methods and the time elapsed between symptom onset and public health actions. The median period between symptom onset and public health investigation was 25 days in London and 23 days in SE when electronic reporting was used and 12 days in London and 11 days in SE when other means of reporting were used. The most common follow-up method was a telephone questionnaire in London (53%) and a postal questionnaire in SE (52%). The telephone questionnaire had the highest response rate (98% in London; 96% in SE). Timeliness and efficiency of electronic NTS infection case reports can be improved by decreasing the electronic laboratory report period and using telephone-administered questionnaires to maximize the public health benefit when following up single cases of NTS infection.
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Agency, South East Regional Epidemiology Unit, London SW1W 9SZ, UK; European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm SE-17183, Sweden; European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Tomtebodavagen 11a, Stockholm 171 65, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Severi
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Agency, South East Regional Epidemiology Unit, London SW1W 9SZ, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dabrera
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Agency, South East Regional Epidemiology Unit, London SW1W 9SZ, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boxall
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Agency, Surrey and Sussex Health Protection Unit, Horsham RH12 1XA, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harvey-Vince
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Agency, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Health Protection Unit, Whiteley PO15 7FN, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Agency, South East Regional Epidemiology Unit, London SW1W 9SZ, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balasegaram
mesh_terms: D018563:Disease Notification; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011634:Public Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012478:Salmonella Food Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance