HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Related articles in AJPH Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Davis, S F Articles by Hadler, S C Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Davis, S F Articles by Hadler, S C

Reporting efficiency during a measles outbreak in New York City, 1991.

S F Davis, P M Strebel, W L Atkinson, L E Markowitz, R W Sutter, K S Scanlon, S Friedman and S C Hadler

Division of Immunization, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333.

OBJECTIVES. During an epidemic of measles among preschool children in New York City, an investigation was conducted in 12 city hospitals to estimate reporting efficiency of measles to the New York City Department of Health. METHODS. Measles cases were identified by review of hospital emergency room and infection control logs and health department surveillance records. The Chandra Sekar Deming method was used (1) to estimate the total number of measles cases in persons less than 19 years old who presented to the 12 hospitals from January through March 1991 and (2) to estimate reporting efficiency. Information on mechanisms for reporting measles cases was collected from hospital infection control coordinators. RESULTS. The Chandra Sekar Deming method estimated that 1487 persons with measles presented to the 12 hospitals during the study period. The overall reporting efficiency was 45% (range = 19% to 83%). All 12 hospitals had passive surveillance for measles; 2 also had an active component. These 2 hospitals had the first and third highest measles reporting efficiencies. CONCLUSIONS. The reporting efficiency of measles cases by New York City hospitals to the health department was low, indicating that the magnitude of the outbreak was substantially greater than suggested by the number of reported cases.

Related articles in AJPH:

The reporting efficiency of measles by hospitals in Los Angeles County, 1986 and 1989.

D P Ewert, P D Frederick, G H Run, and L Mascola
AJPH 1994 84: 868-869. [PDF]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. J. Doyle, M. K. Glynn, and S. L. Groseclose Completeness of Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting in the United States: An Analytical Literature Review Am. J. Epidemiol., May 1, 2002; 155(9): 866 - 874. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]