title: Context analysis for epidemic control in the Netherlands.
abstract: When epidemics occur, experts advise the Ministries on effective control measures. There is uncertainty in the translation of epidemiological evidence into effective outbreak management interventions, due to contradicatory problem perspectives, diverse interests and time pressure. Several models have been developed that aim to integrate societal context information in risk assessment to improve the feasibility and the implementation of adviced measures. The current study explored the views of relevant public officials on this issue using the Rapid Risk Assessment of Acute Public Health Events model of the World Health Organization. Eighteen public officials involved in infectious disease risk assessment and policy making in the Netherlands participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews. Their experiences, expectations and expert opinions on the use of societal context information for infectious disease outbreak control were explored. Most interviewees consider information on societal context necessary for infectious disease risk management. However, different perspectives exist on which information is relevant, and how, when, why and by whom it should be obtained. We conclude that outbreak control could benefit from systematically gathered information on the societal context. This requires identifying which information is beneficial and selecting or designing methods to obtain it. Explicit stakeholder assessment seems a first step.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Yvonne L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Huizer
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Marleen.kraaij@rivm.nl.
authors.forename: Marleen M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kraaij-Dirkzwager
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aura
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Timen
authors.affiliation: Athena Institute for Research on Communication and Innovation in Health and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tjerk Jan
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Schuitmaker
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, The Netherlands; Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jim E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: van Steenbergen
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D058872:Epidemics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011050:Policy Making; D018570:Risk Assessment; D035501:Uncertainty
keywords: Infectious disease control; Policy development; Risk management; Societal context; Uncertainty