Analysis of the Korean Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance System: Mass Type Acute Diarrheal Syndrome.
10.4258/hir.2010.16.3.177
- Author:
Shin AHN
1
;
Jae Ho LEE
;
Won KIM
;
Kyung Soo LIM
Author Information
1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Korea. rufiji@gmail.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Emergency Department;
Surveillance;
System;
Food Poisoning;
Diarrhea
- MeSH:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.);
Diarrhea;
Electronic Health Records;
Emergencies;
Foodborne Diseases;
Korea;
Research Design;
United States Food and Drug Administration
- From:Healthcare Informatics Research
2010;16(3):177-184
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to compare the data from the emergency department syndromic surveillance system of Korea in detection and reporting of acute diarrheal syndrome (mass type) with the data from the Korea Food and Drug Administration. And to offer fundamental materials for making improvements in current surveillance system was our purpose. METHODS: A study was conducted by reviewing the number of cases reported as acute diarrheal syndrome (mass type) from the Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention between June, 2002 and July, 2008. And the data were compared with the number of mass food poisoning cases during the same period, reported from the Korea Food and Drug Administration. The difference between two groups was measured and their transitions were compared. RESULTS: The emergency department syndromic surveillance system's reports of the numbers of acute diarrheal syndrome (mass type) cases were different from the transition of mass food poisonings, reported by the Korea Food and Drug Administration. Their reports were not accurate and they could not follow the trends of increase in mass food poisonings since 2002. CONCLUSIONS: Current problems in the emergency department syndromic surveillance system in Korea are mostly related to inaccuracies of daily data reporting system. Manual data input by the reporters could play a big role in such inaccuracies. There need to be improvements in the ways of reporting data, such as automated information transport system linking electronic medical record.
