Evaluation of a national surveillance unit
a The Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit,
and the University of Sydney, Australia, b Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Royal
Alexandra Hospital for Children, Sydney, Australia, c Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of
Sydney, d South Western Sydney
Public Health Unit, Sydney, Australia, e Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services,
Canberra, Australia, f Clinical Epidemiology
and Biostatistics Unit, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne,
Australia, g Department of Paediatrics, Royal
Darwin Hospital, Australia
Correspondence to: Dr E Elliott, The Australia Paediatric Surveillance Unit, PO Box 3515, Parramatta 2124, NSW, Australia. email: apsu{at}nch.edu.au
Accepted 7 July 1998
AIM
The Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit
(APSU) facilitates national active surveillance of uncommon childhood
conditions. This study assessed whether it fulfilled its objectives and
satisfied criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) for evaluating surveillance systems.
METHODSAnonymous questionnaires were sent to
users of the system, individual studies were reviewed, and data were
collected from independent sources.
RESULTSSeven hundred and sixty six clinicians, 48 investigators, and 15 public health professionals responded to the
questionnaires. Clinicians reported that the APSU was useful, 33%
saying information provided by the APSU informed or changed their
clinical practice. Most (88%) reported that completing monthly report
cards was not a burden. Impact on policy development was limited by
suboptimal dissemination of information to public health professionals.
Flexibility and timeliness were limited by design. Estimated
sensitivity of APSU studies ranged from 92% (congenital rubella) to
31% (drowning/near drowning). Positive predictive value of notified
cases was over 70% for most studies.
CONCLUSIONThe APSU fulfils most of its objectives
and meets CDC criteria salient to these. Ways in which the APSU could
be improved have been identified, as have methodological challenges and
limitations in applying CDC guidelines to this type of unit.
© 1999 by Archives of Disease in Childhood
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