A concept for routine emergency-care data-based syndromic surveillance in Europe.
We developed a syndromic surveillance (SyS) concept using emergency dispatch, ambulance and emergency-department data from different European countries. Based on an inventory of sub-national emergency data availability in 12 countries, we propose framework definitions for specific syndromes and a SyS system design. We tested the concept by retrospectively applying cumulative sum and spatio-temporal cluster analyses for the detection of local gastrointestinal outbreaks in four countries and comparing the results with notifiable disease reporting. Routine emergency data was available daily and electronically in 11 regions, following a common structure. We identified two gastrointestinal outbreaks in two countries; one was confirmed as a norovirus outbreak. We detected 1/147 notified outbreaks. Emergency-care data-based SyS can supplement local surveillance with near real-time information on gastrointestinal patients, especially in special circumstances, e.g. foreign tourists. It most likely cannot detect the majority of local gastrointestinal outbreaks with few, mild or dispersed cases.
Department of International Health, CAPHRI School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences,Maastricht University,Maastricht,The Netherlands.
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A
Ziemann
Department of International Health, CAPHRI School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences,Maastricht University,Maastricht,The Netherlands.
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N
Rosenkötter
Department of Medical Sciences and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine,University of Cantabria,Santander,Spain.
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L
Garcia-Castrillo Riesgo
Department of International Health, CAPHRI School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences,Maastricht University,Maastricht,The Netherlands.
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Schrell
Department of International Health, CAPHRI School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences,Maastricht University,Maastricht,The Netherlands.
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B
Kauhl
Dispatch Centre Tyrol (Leitstelle Tirol Gesellschaft mbH), Innsbruck,Austria.
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Vergeiner
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Klinik am Eichert, Goeppingen,Germany.
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Fischer
Emergency Medical Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen,Denmark.
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Lippert
Department of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health,University of Bielefeld,Bielefeld,Germany.
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A
Krämer
Department of International Health, CAPHRI School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences,Maastricht University,Maastricht,The Netherlands.
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Brand
Department of International Health, CAPHRI School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences,Maastricht University,Maastricht,The Netherlands.
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Krafft
D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013577:Syndrome