Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33464478›Full record

ArticleIrish journal of medical science2021

Geocoding cryptosporidiosis cases in Ireland (2008-2017)-development of a reliable, reproducible, multiphase geocoding methodology.

Lisa Domegan, Patricia Garvey, Paul McKeown, Howard Johnson, Paul Hynds, Jean O'Dwyer, Coilín ÓhAiseadha

Abstract read
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Article in Irish journal of medical science, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

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0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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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

7 authors.

Lisa DomeganEuropean Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden. lisa.domegan@hse.ie.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1949-3792
Patricia GarveyHealth Service Executive-Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Dublin, Ireland.
Paul McKeownHealth Service Executive-Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Dublin, Ireland.
Howard JohnsonHealth Service Executive-Health Intelligence Unit, Dublin, Ireland.
Paul HyndsEnvironmental Sustainability & Health Institute, Technological University Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Jean O'DwyerIrish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Coilín ÓhAiseadhaHealth Service Executive-Department of Public Health-East, Dublin, Ireland. coilin.ohaiseadha@hse.ie.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4243-1493

Funding

EPA 2018-W-MS-33Irish Research Council COALESCE/2019/53
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGeocoding (the process of converting a text address into spatial data) quality may affect geospatial epidemiological study findings. No national standards for best geocoding practice exist in Ireland. Irish postcodes (Eircodes) are not routinely recorded for infectious disease notifications and > 35% of dwellings have non-unique addresses. This may result in incomplete geocoding and introduce systematic errors into studies.

aimsThis study aimed to develop a reliable and reproducible methodology to geocode cryptosporidiosis notifications to fine-resolution spatial units (Census 2016 Small Areas), to enhance data validity and completeness, thus improving geospatial epidemiological studies.

methodsA protocol was devised to utilise geocoding tools developed by the Health Service Executive's Health Intelligence Unit. Geocoding employed finite-string automated and manual matching, undertaken sequentially in three additive phases. The protocol was applied to a cryptosporidiosis notification dataset (2008-2017) from Ireland's Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting System. Outputs were validated against devised criteria.

resultsOverall, 92.1% (4266/4633) of cases were successfully geocoded to one Small Area, and 95.5% (n = 4425) to larger spatial units. The proportion of records geocoded increased by 14% using the multiphase approach, with 5% of records re-assigned to a different spatial unit.

conclusionsThe developed multiphase protocol improved the completeness and validity of geocoding, thus increasing the power of subsequent studies. The authors recommend capturing Eircodes ideally using application programming interface for infectious disease or other health-related datasets, for more efficient and reliable geocoding. Where Eircodes are not recorded/available, for best geocoding practice, we recommend this (or a similar) quality driven protocol.

Indexed as

CryptosporidiosisGeographic MappingCensusesGeographic Information SystemsHumansIrelandCryptosporidiosisData qualityEpidemiologyGeocodingGeospatialSurveillance

Identifiers

PMID33464478
PMCPMC7813664

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Registered trials

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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.