Health Policy Manag.  2018 Dec;28(4):402-410. 10.4332/KJHPA.2018.28.4.402.

Assessing Seasonality of Acute Febrile Respiratory Tract Infections and Medication Use

• Park J
• Choi WS
• Lee HY
• Kim KH
• Kim DS

• KMID: 2438591
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4332/KJHPA.2018.28.4.402

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Monitoring appropriate medication categories can provide early warning of certain disease outbreaks. This study aimed to present a methodology for selecting and monitoring medications relevant to the surveillance of acute respiratory tract infections, such as influenza.
METHODS
To estimate correlations between acute febrile respiratory tract infection and some medication categories, the cross-correlation coefficient (CCC) was used and established. Two databases were used: real-time prescription trend of antivirals, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics using Drug Utilization Review Program between 2012 and 2015 and physicians' number of encounters with acute febrile respiratory tract infections such as influenza outbreaks using the national level health insurance claims data. The seasonality was also evaluated using the CCC.
RESULTS
After selecting six candidate diseases that require extensive monitoring, influenza with highly specific medical treatment according to the health insurance claims data and its medications were chosen as final candidates based on a data-driven approach. Antiviral medications and influenza were significantly correlated.
CONCLUSION
An annual correlation was observed between influenza and antiviral medications, anti-inflammatory drugs. Suitable models should be established for syndromic surveillance of influenza.

Keyword

Influenza, Human; Seasons; Drug Utilization Review; Population surveillance

MeSH Terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antiviral Agents
Disease Outbreaks
Drug Utilization Review
Influenza, Human
Insurance, Health
Population Surveillance
Prescriptions
Respiratory System*
Respiratory Tract Infections*
Seasons*
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antiviral Agents