Under-ascertainment of Illness due to Influenza in Administrative Databases, a Population-based Record Linkage Study

Authors

  • David J. Muscatello NSW Ministry of Health, North Sydney, NSW, Australia; University of NSW, Kensington, NSW, Australia.
  • Janaki Amin University of NSW, Kensington, NSW, Australia.
  • C. Raina MacIntyre University of NSW, Kensington, NSW, Australia.
  • Anthony T. Newall University of NSW, Kensington, NSW, Australia.
  • William D. Rawlinson University of NSW, Kensington, NSW, Australia; South East Area Laboratory Service, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
  • Vitali Sintchenko Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
  • Robin Gilmour NSW Ministry of Health, North Sydney, NSW, Australia.
  • Sarah Thackway NSW Ministry of Health, North Sydney, NSW, Australia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v6i1.5189

Abstract

Administrative and vital statistics databases are frequently used for public health surveillance of influenza incidence and outcomes. We used population based, probabilistic record linkage of laboratory diagnosed influenza, emergency department, hospital admission and death registration databases to determine how frequently laboratory diagnosed influenza is coded as influenza or recorded as a cause of death. Influenza was substantially under-recorded as a cause of emergency presentation, hospitalization and death. Influenza type A infection was more likely than type B to lead to coding of influenza. Despite under-coding, time series of coded influenza from databases do reflect trends in influenza incidence.

Author Biography

David J. Muscatello, NSW Ministry of Health, North Sydney, NSW, Australia; University of NSW, Kensington, NSW, Australia.

David Muscatello is a principal epidemiologist and manager of the Rapid Surveillance Systems unit in the Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, New South Wales Ministry of Health, Australia. He is completing a PhD on the epidemiology and surveillance of seasonal and pandemic influenza at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales.

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Published

2014-03-09

How to Cite

Muscatello, D. J., Amin, J., MacIntyre, C. R., Newall, A. T., Rawlinson, W. D., Sintchenko, V., … Thackway, S. (2014). Under-ascertainment of Illness due to Influenza in Administrative Databases, a Population-based Record Linkage Study. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v6i1.5189

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Section

Oral Presentations