title: Electronic Sentinel Surveillance of Influenza-like Illness. Experience from a pilot study in New Zealand.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electronic reporting of Influenza-like illness (eILI) from primary care was implemented and evaluated in three general medical practices in New Zealand during May to September 2015.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To measure the uptake of eILI and to identify the system's strength and limitations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of transactional data from the eILI system; comparative study of influenza-like illness cases reported using manual methods and eILI; questionnaire administered to clinical and operational stakeholders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over the study period 66% of total ILI cases were reported using eILI. Reporting timeliness improved significantly compared to manual reporting with an average of 24 minutes from submission by the clinician to processing in the national database. Users found the system to be user-friendly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  eILI assists clinicians to report ILI cases to public health authorities within a stipulated time period and is associated with faster, more reliable and improved information transfer.
authors.affiliation: Mehnaz Adnan, Institute for Environment Science and Research, Kenepuru Science Centre, 34 Kenepuru Drive, Porirua 5022, New Zealand, E-mail: mehnaz.adnan@esr.cri.nz.
authors.forename: Mehnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adnan
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peterkin
authors.forename: Liza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mackereth
mesh_terms: D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011634:Public Health; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: HL7; Influenza-like Illness; Public Health; Surveillance