Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32909955›Full record

Observational studyJMIR public health and surveillance2020

An Online Influenza Surveillance System for Primary Care Workers in Switzerland: Observational Prospective Pilot Study.

Sébastien Martin, Muriel Nirina Maeder, Ana Rita Gonçalves, Baptiste Pedrazzini, Jean Perdrix, Carine Rochat, Nicolas Senn, Yolanda Mueller

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in JMIR public health and surveillance, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 35% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Sébastien MartinCenter for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Lausanne, Department of Family Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-6720-3051
Muriel Nirina MaederCenter for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Lausanne, Department of Family Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-8070-212X
Ana Rita GonçalvesLaboratory of Virology, Division of Infectious Diseases, National Reference Centre of Influenza, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-7893-0158
Baptiste PedrazziniCenter for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Lausanne, Department of Family Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-3747-072X
Jean PerdrixCenter for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Lausanne, Department of Family Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-7068-0329
Carine RochatCenter for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Department of Ambulatory Care and Community Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-3576-3473
Nicolas SennCenter for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Lausanne, Department of Family Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-9986-3249
Yolanda MuellerCenter for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Lausanne, Department of Family Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-8861-4538
Centre universitaire de médecine générale et santé publique, Lausanne · CHUniversity Hospital of Geneva · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA better understanding of the influenza epidemiology among primary care workers could guide future recommendations to prevent transmission in primary care practices. Therefore, we designed a pilot study to assess the feasibility of using a work-based online influenza surveillance system among primary care workers. Such an approach is of particular relevance in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as its findings could apply to other infectious diseases with similar mechanisms of transmission.

objectiveThis study aims to determine the feasibility of using a work-based online influenza surveillance system for primary care workers in Switzerland.

methodsPhysicians and staff of one walk-in clinic and two selected primary care practices were enrolled in this observational prospective pilot study during the 2017-2018 influenza season. They were invited to record symptoms of influenza-like illness in a weekly online survey sent by email and to self-collect a nasopharyngeal swab in case any symptoms were recorded. Samples were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction for influenza A, influenza B, and a panel of respiratory pathogens.

resultsAmong 67 eligible staff members, 58% (n=39) consented to the study and 53% (n=36) provided data. From the time all participants were included, the weekly survey response rate stayed close to 100% until the end of the study. Of 79 symptomatic episodes (mean 2.2 episodes per participant), 10 episodes in 7 participants fitted the definition of an influenza-like illness case (attack rate: 7/36, 19%). One swab tested positive for influenza A H1N1 (attack rate: 3%, 95% CI 0%-18%). Swabbing was considered relatively easy.

conclusionsA work-based online influenza surveillance system is feasible for use among primary care workers. This promising methodology could be broadly used in future studies to improve the understanding of influenza epidemiology and other diseases such as COVID-19. This could prove to be highly useful in primary care settings and guide future recommendations to prevent transmission. A larger study will also help to assess asymptomatic infections.

Indexed as

Health PersonnelOnline SystemsPrimary Health CareAdultBetacoronavirusCommunicable Disease ControlCoronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19Feasibility StudiesFemaleHealth SurveysHumansInfluenza A Virus, H1N1 SubtypeInfluenza, HumanMaleMass Screeninginfluenzanosocomialonlineprimary caresurveillance systemtransmission

Identifiers

PMID32909955
PMCPMC7516689
OpenAlexW3029198179

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.