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. 2011;3(1):ojphi.v3i1.3506.
doi: 10.5210/ojphi.v3i1.3506. Epub 2011 Jun 22.

Use of a web forum and an online questionnaire in the detection and investigation of an outbreak

Tammy L Stuart Chester  1 , Marsha Taylor, Jat Sandhu, Sara Forsting, Andrea Ellis, Rob Stirling, Eleni Galanis
Affiliations

Use of a web forum and an online questionnaire in the detection and investigation of an outbreak

Tammy L Stuart Chester et al. Online J Public Health Inform. 2011.

Abstract

A campylobacteriosis outbreak investigation provides relevant examples of how two web-based technologies were used in an outbreak setting and potential reasons for their usefulness. A web forum aided in outbreak detection and provided contextual insights for hypothesis generation and questionnaire development. An online questionnaire achieved a high response rate and enabled rapid preliminary data analysis that allowed for a targeted environmental investigation. The usefulness of these tools may in part be attributed to the existence of an internet savvy, close-knit community. Given the right population, public health officials should consider web-based technologies, including web fora and online questionnaires as valuable tools in public health investigations. VSports手机版.

Keywords: communications media; epidemiologic methods; internet; outbreaks; public health V体育安卓版. .

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Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Dates of occurrence of significant events (outbreak detection, web forum postings and online questionnaire responses) in the investigation of an outbreak. Black bars indicate onset of symptoms in cases (clinical and lab confirmed) (n=225); grey bars indicate web forum postings by racers or organizers specifically regarding illness in racers (n=58); white bars indicate number of responses to the questionnaire for which time stamps were available (n=506).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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