Healthc Inform Res.  2010 Sep;16(3):177-184. 10.4258/hir.2010.16.3.177.

Analysis of the Korean Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance System: Mass Type Acute Diarrheal Syndrome

• Ahn S
• Lee JH
• Kim W
• Lim KS

• KMID: 2284530
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4258/hir.2010.16.3.177

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.

Keyword

Emergency Department; Surveillance; System; Food Poisoning; Diarrhea

MeSH Terms

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
Diarrhea
Electronic Health Records
Emergencies
Foodborne Diseases
Korea
Research Design
United States Food and Drug Administration

Figure

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  Figure 1 Diagram of data report flows in the emergency department syndromic surveillance system of Korea.

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  Figure 2 The number of mass food poisoning cases in 2007. The number of mass food poisoning cases reported by the Food Poisoning Statistical System of the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) and the Anti-Bioterrorism Information Network of the Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2007.

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  Figure 3 The number of mass food poisoning cases each year. The number of mass food poisoning cases reported by the Food Poisoning Statistical System of the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) and the Anti-Bioterrorism Information Network of the Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year. *Data was calculated until July, 2008.

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  Figure 4 Computer display of the Emergency Room Syndrome Surveillance (ERSS). ERSS was a computerized program invented in our institution. Automated data collection and displaying the data of target syndromes are shown. This process is carried out by gathering the daily numbers of patients' chief complaints which are related to target syndromes and total number of each syndromic patient is displayed.

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