We attempted to assess the accuracy of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for myocardial infarction (MI) in medical insurance claims, and to investigate the reasons for any inaccuracy. This study was designed as a preliminary study to establish a surveillance system for cardiovascular diseases in Korea. A sample of 258 male patients who were diagnosed with MI from 1993 to 1997 was selected from the Korea Medical Insurance Corporation cohort (KMIC cohort: 183,461 people). The registered medical record administrators were trained in the survey technique, and gathered data by investigating the medical records of the study subjects from March 1999 to May 1999. The definition of MI for this study included symptoms pursuant to the diagnostic criteria of chest pain, electrocardiogram (ECG) findings, cardiac enzyme and results of coronary angiography or nuclear scan. We asked the record administrators for the reasons of incorrectness for cases where the final diagnosis was 'not MI'. The accuracy rate of the ICD codes for MI in medical insurance claims was 76.0% (196 cases) of the study sample, and 3.9% (ten cases) of the medical records were not available due to hospital closures, non-computerization or missing information. Nineteen cases (7.4%) were classified as insufficient due to insufficient records of chest pain, ECG findings, or cardiac enzymes. The major reason of inaccuracy in the disease code for MI in medical insurance claims was 'to meet the review criteria of medical insurance benefits (45.5%)'. The department responsible for the inaccuracy was the department of inspection for medical insurance benefit of the hospitals.
Cohort Studies ; Human ; Insurance, Health* ; Myocardial Infarction/diagnosis* ; Sentinel Surveillance

The purpose of establishing the circulatory disease surveillance system in Korea is to ensure that the problems of circulatory disease importance are being monitored efficiently and effectively. The goals of circulatory disease surveillance system are to monitor the epidemiological trends of circulatory disease and to evaluate the outcome of health activity for controlling circulatory diseases. Surveillance system are being updated to achieve the needs for the integration of the surveillance and information system, the establishment of data standards, the electronic exchange of data, and changes in the goals of circulatory disease surveillance system to facilitate the response of this system to manage the national health problem effectively. This article provides the target diseases and determinant indicators to be monitored, structure of circulatory disease surveillance system, and many tasks and related activities that should be applied to this system.
Cardiovascular Diseases/*epidemiology ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; *Sentinel Surveillance

Humans ; Occupational Diseases ; prevention & control ; Occupational Health Services ; Sentinel Surveillance

Objective: To establish a dynamic syndromic surveillance system in the border areas of Yunnan Province based on information technology, evaluate its effectiveness and timeliness in the response to common communicable disease epidemics and improve the communicable disease prevention and control in border areas. Methods: Three border counties were selected for full coverage as study areas, and dynamic surveillance for 14 symptoms and 6 syndromes were conducted in medical institutions, the daily collection of information about students' school absence in primary schools and febrile illness in inbound people at border ports were conducted in these counties from January 2016 to February 2018 to establish an early warning system based on mobile phone and computer platform for a field experimental study. Results: With syndromes of rash, influenza-like illness and the numbers of primary school absence, the most common communicable disease events, such as hand foot and mouth disease, influenza and chickenpox, can be identified 1-5 days in advance by using EARS-3C and Kulldorff time-space scanning models with high sensitivity and specificity. The system is easy to use with strong security and feasibility. All the information and the warning alerts are released in the form of interactive charts and visual maps, which can facilitate the timely response. Conclusions: This system is highly effective and easy to operate in the detection of possible outbreaks of common communicable diseases in border areas in real time, so the timely and effective intervention can be conducted to reduce the risk of local and cross-border communicable disease outbreaks. It has practical application value.
Humans ; Influenza, Human ; Sentinel Surveillance ; Syndrome ; China ; Cell Phone

Clonorchiasis is one key food-borne parasitic disease in China. Owing to several years'efforts and preparation, the national clonorchiasis surveillance system in China has been established preliminarily since 2016. In this article, the necessity to establish the national clonorchiasis surveillance system is explained. Then, the structure, content and corresponding methods of the surveillance system are briefly introduced. Key points in the surveillance are summarized and the development of surveillance in future is discussed. Furthermore, the contribution of clonorchiasis surveillance in China to the world is also analyzed.
Animals ; China ; Clonorchiasis ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Foodborne Diseases ; Sentinel Surveillance

Humans ; Incidence ; Influenza, Human ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Nonprescription Drugs ; economics ; Product Surveillance, Postmarketing ; statistics & numerical data ; Sentinel Surveillance

Communicable diseases are a continuing menace to all people. Although some diseases have been conquered by antibiotics and vaccines, new ones are constantly emerging (such as HIV/AIDS, Legionnaires' disease), while others re-emerging (such as malaria, shigellosis). In 2000, the communicable disease control law had been amended to cope with emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. The important amendatory contents are revision of statutory communicable diseases (3 class, 29 → 5 groups,63), shortening of the reporting time(group I,II,IV, immediately ; group III, V, within 7 days), and introduction of sentinel surveillance system, EDI reporting system, and reporting criteria.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Communicable Disease Control ; Communicable Diseases* ; Communicable Diseases, Emerging ; Jurisprudence ; Malaria ; Sentinel Surveillance ; Vaccines

OBJECTIVETo perform a sampling survey of occupational hazard in typical industrial enterprises in Guangzhou, China, by means of sentinel surveillance, to understand the classification, distribution, and concentration/intensity of occupational hazard as well as the characteristics and development of occupational health management in Guangzhou, and to provide a scientific basis for occupational health supervision.

METHODSFifteen enterprises in information technology (IT), shipbuilding, chemical, leather and footwear, and auto repair industries were enrolled as subjects. Dynamic surveillance for occupational hazard and occupational health management was performed in workplaces of those enterprises.

RESULTSThe overall overproof rate of occupational hazard in the 15 sentinel enterprises from 2012 to 2014 was 6.16% (45/731). There was no significant difference in the overproof rate between the three years (P > 0.05). During the three years, enterprises in shipbuilding industry had significant higher overproof rates than those in other industries (P < 0.05). According to the results of occupational health management questionnaire, the overall coincidence rate of survey items was 57.88% (393/679); enterprises in IT industry had significant lower coincidence rates than those in other industries in 2012 and 2014 (47.62%, 29.63%; P < 0.05), while enterprises in leather and footwear industry had significant lower coincidence rates than those in other industries in 2013 (40.63%; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe enterprises in shipbuilding industry are the key to the prevention and control of occupational hazard in Guangzhou. To strengthen surveillance for occupational health in workplaces in Guangzhou, it is important to enhance occupation health supervision among small and micro enterprises and develop continuous sentinel surveillance for occupational hazard in key industries.

OBJECTIVETo construct a forecasting model of influenza-like illness in Zhejiang Province.

METHODSThe number of influenza-like cases and related pathogens among outpatients and emergency patients were obtained from 11 sentinel hospitals in Zhejiang Province during 2012 to 2013 (total 104 weeks), and corresponding meteorological factors were also collected. The epidemiological characteristics of influenza during the period were then analyzed. Linear correlation and rank correlation analyses were conducted to explore the association between influenza-like illness and related factors. Optimal parameters were selected by cross validation. Support vector machine was used to construct the forecasting model of influenza-like illness in Zhejiang Province and verified by the historical data.

RESULTSCorrelation analysis indicated that 8 factors were associated with influenza-like illness occurred in one week. The results of cross validation showed that the optimal parameters were C=3, ε=0.009 and γ=0.4. The results of influenza-like illness forecasting model after verification revealed that support vector machine had the accuracy of 50.0% for prediction with the same level, while it reached 96.7% for prediction within the range of one level higher or lower.

CONCLUSIONSupport vector machine is suitable for early warning of influenza-like illness.

China ; Female ; HIV Infections ; HIV-1 ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Sentinel Surveillance