Table 2

Comparison of influenza surveillance improvement strategies: Baseline and follow-up output values for hypothetical example

Baseline

Follow-up

Probability (%)

Time (days)

Probability (%)

Time (days)

Detection from clinical sites

Path 1

Doctor orders laboratory test

0.15

23

16.0

15

Path 2

Hospital orders laboratory test

0.03

23

5.1

15

Path 3

Reporting by sentinel doctor

0.0

30

2.6

23

Path 4

Reporting by sentinel hospital

0.0

30

4.2

23

Path 5

Active surveillance of doctors

0.0

30

8.6

23

Path 6

Active surveillance of hospitals

0.0

30

4.6

23

Detection from community sites

Path 7

Tracking of employee sick days

0.0

35

8.6

28

Path 8

Tracking of electronic media

0.03

41

43.2

34

Path 9

Detection by community-based monitoring system

0.01

43

10.8

36

Moore et al. BMC Public Health 2008 8:186   doi:10.1186/1471-2458-8-186