Enhancing Syndromic Surveillance With Online Respondent-Driven Detection

Mart L Stein; Jim E van Steenbergen; Vincent Buskens; Peter G M van der Heijden; Carl E Koppeschaar; Linus Bengtsson; Anna Thorson; MEE Kretzschmar

doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.302717

Enhancing Syndromic Surveillance With Online Respondent-Driven Detection

Mart L Stein, Jim E van Steenbergen, Vincent Buskens, Peter G M van der Heijden, Carl E Koppeschaar, Linus Bengtsson, Anna Thorson, MEE Kretzschmar

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the feasibility of combining an online chain recruitment method (respondent-driven detection) and participatory surveillance panels to collect previously undetected information on infectious diseases via social networks of participants.

METHODS: In 2014, volunteers from 2 large panels in the Netherlands were invited to complete a survey focusing on symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and to invite 4 individuals they had met in the preceding 2 weeks to take part in the study. We compared sociodemographic characteristics among panel participants, individuals who volunteered for our survey, and individuals recruited via respondent-driven detection.

RESULTS: Starting from 1015 panel members, the survey spread through all provinces of the Netherlands and all age groups in 83 days. A total of 433 individuals completed the survey via peer recruitment. Participants who reported symptoms were 6.1% (95% confidence interval = 5.4, 6.9) more likely to invite contact persons than were participants who did not report symptoms. Participants with symptoms invited more symptomatic recruits to take part than did participants without symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that online respondent-driven detection can enhance identification of symptomatic patients by making use of individuals' local social networks.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	e90-7
Journal	American journal of public health
Volume	105
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302717
Publication status	Published - Aug 2015

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10.2105/AJPH.2015.302717

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title = "Enhancing Syndromic Surveillance With Online Respondent-Driven Detection",

abstract = "OBJECTIVES: We investigated the feasibility of combining an online chain recruitment method (respondent-driven detection) and participatory surveillance panels to collect previously undetected information on infectious diseases via social networks of participants.METHODS: In 2014, volunteers from 2 large panels in the Netherlands were invited to complete a survey focusing on symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and to invite 4 individuals they had met in the preceding 2 weeks to take part in the study. We compared sociodemographic characteristics among panel participants, individuals who volunteered for our survey, and individuals recruited via respondent-driven detection.RESULTS: Starting from 1015 panel members, the survey spread through all provinces of the Netherlands and all age groups in 83 days. A total of 433 individuals completed the survey via peer recruitment. Participants who reported symptoms were 6.1% (95% confidence interval = 5.4, 6.9) more likely to invite contact persons than were participants who did not report symptoms. Participants with symptoms invited more symptomatic recruits to take part than did participants without symptoms.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that online respondent-driven detection can enhance identification of symptomatic patients by making use of individuals' local social networks.",

author = "Stein, {Mart L} and {van Steenbergen}, {Jim E} and Vincent Buskens and {van der Heijden}, {Peter G M} and Koppeschaar, {Carl E} and Linus Bengtsson and Anna Thorson and MEE Kretzschmar",

year = "2015",

month = aug,

doi = "10.2105/AJPH.2015.302717",

language = "English",

volume = "105",

pages = "e90--7",

journal = "American journal of public health",

issn = "0090-0036",

publisher = "American Public Health Association Inc.",

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T1 - Enhancing Syndromic Surveillance With Online Respondent-Driven Detection

AU - Stein, Mart L

AU - van Steenbergen, Jim E

AU - Buskens, Vincent

AU - van der Heijden, Peter G M

AU - Koppeschaar, Carl E

AU - Bengtsson, Linus

AU - Thorson, Anna

AU - Kretzschmar, MEE

PY - 2015/8

Y1 - 2015/8

N2 - OBJECTIVES: We investigated the feasibility of combining an online chain recruitment method (respondent-driven detection) and participatory surveillance panels to collect previously undetected information on infectious diseases via social networks of participants.METHODS: In 2014, volunteers from 2 large panels in the Netherlands were invited to complete a survey focusing on symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and to invite 4 individuals they had met in the preceding 2 weeks to take part in the study. We compared sociodemographic characteristics among panel participants, individuals who volunteered for our survey, and individuals recruited via respondent-driven detection.RESULTS: Starting from 1015 panel members, the survey spread through all provinces of the Netherlands and all age groups in 83 days. A total of 433 individuals completed the survey via peer recruitment. Participants who reported symptoms were 6.1% (95% confidence interval = 5.4, 6.9) more likely to invite contact persons than were participants who did not report symptoms. Participants with symptoms invited more symptomatic recruits to take part than did participants without symptoms.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that online respondent-driven detection can enhance identification of symptomatic patients by making use of individuals' local social networks.

AB - OBJECTIVES: We investigated the feasibility of combining an online chain recruitment method (respondent-driven detection) and participatory surveillance panels to collect previously undetected information on infectious diseases via social networks of participants.METHODS: In 2014, volunteers from 2 large panels in the Netherlands were invited to complete a survey focusing on symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and to invite 4 individuals they had met in the preceding 2 weeks to take part in the study. We compared sociodemographic characteristics among panel participants, individuals who volunteered for our survey, and individuals recruited via respondent-driven detection.RESULTS: Starting from 1015 panel members, the survey spread through all provinces of the Netherlands and all age groups in 83 days. A total of 433 individuals completed the survey via peer recruitment. Participants who reported symptoms were 6.1% (95% confidence interval = 5.4, 6.9) more likely to invite contact persons than were participants who did not report symptoms. Participants with symptoms invited more symptomatic recruits to take part than did participants without symptoms.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that online respondent-driven detection can enhance identification of symptomatic patients by making use of individuals' local social networks.

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DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302717

M3 - Article

C2 - 26066940

SN - 0090-0036

VL - 105

SP - e90-7

JO - American journal of public health

JF - American journal of public health

IS - 8

ER -

Enhancing Syndromic Surveillance With Online Respondent-Driven Detection

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