Computer-based analysis of verbal autopsies: revolution or evolution?

Riley, Ian

doi:10.1186/1478-7954-9-26

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 7 publications

(6 reference statements)

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“…Physician-certified verbal autopsy (PCVA) is still the most common approach to interpret VA data [ 20 ] in which local physicians review the questionnaires and assign a probable COD [ 16 , 21 – 24 ]. Arguments against physician-based certification of CODs from VAs are variations in interpreting VA data due to different training, experience, and/or perceptions of local epidemiology of the reviewing physicians and difficulties of maintaining quality work over long periods of time [ 25 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal and temporal trends in all-cause and malaria mortality in rural Burkina Faso, 1998–2007

Kampe

Müller

Sié

et al. 2015

Malar J

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BackgroundHigh mortality levels in sub-Saharan Africa are still a major public health problem. Children are the most affected group with malaria as one of the major causes of death in this region. To plan health interventions, reliable empirical information on cause-specific mortality patterns is essential, yet such data are often not available in developing countries. Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) implementing the verbal autopsy (VA) method provide such data on a longitudinal basis. Physician Coded VA is usually used to determine cause of death, but recently a computerized method, Interpreting VA (InterVA) was alternatively introduced. This study investigates the effect of season on all-cause and malaria mortality analysing cause of death data from 1998 to 2007 obtained by the Nouna HDSS in rural Burkina Faso and derived by InterVA.MethodsMonthly mortality rates were calculated for different age groups (infants, children, adolescents, adults, elderly). Seasonal and temporal trends were modelled with parametric Poisson regression adjusted for sex, area of residence and year of death.ResultsOverall, 7,378 deaths occurred corresponding to a mortality rate of 11.9/1,000 with highest rates in infants (56.8/1,000) and children (22.0/1,000). Young children were most affected by malaria. Malaria mortality patterns in children showed significantly higher rates during the rainy season and a stagnant long-term trend. The seasonal trend is well described parametrically with a sinusoidal function. InterVA assigned about half as many deaths to malaria than physicians.ConclusionsMalaria mortality remains highly seasonal in rural Burkina Faso. The InterVA method appears to determine reasonably well seasonal mortality patterns, which should be considered for the planning of health resources and activities.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal and temporal trends in all-cause and malaria mortality in rural Burkina Faso, 1998–2007

Kampe

Müller

Sié

et al. 2015

Malar J

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The last century of symptom-oriented research in emergency presentations – have we made any progress?

Bingisser¹,

Nickel²

2013

Swiss Med Wkly

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This review is dedicated to the last century of symptom-oriented research, taking three symptom complexes as typical examples of medical progress, and focusing on emergency presentations. Landmark publications in each area are discussed, with an attempt to focus on the methods used to achieve major breakthroughs. In abdominal pain, progress was achieved over a century ago by correlating symptoms and surgical pathology. Most diagnoses were made by using the clinical tools elaborated with careful observation and clinical examination. Together with the later reported outcomes, surgeons had an early and powerful tool for symptom-oriented research. In dyspnoea, progress was achieved much later, as a universal definition had to be elaborated over decades by consolidating clinical research, predominantly symptom-pathology correlation, and experimental research, such as function testing and experiments with animals and humans. In nonspecific presentations in emergency situations, progress has been achieved only recently, most probably owing to the fact that elderly patients are presenting in steeply increasing numbers, and the hallmark of disease presentation in the elderly seems to be less specific symptoms and complaints. This may be caused by altered physiology, polymorbidity, polypharmacy and the multiple difficulties encountered when taking histories in the elderly. Taken together, symptom-oriented research has been an important contributor to medical progress in the last century. Though it may be challenged by image- and laboratory-oriented research, it will remain part of patient-centred research because the epidemiology of symptoms, their clinical outcomes and their diagnostic importance according to severity will be the basis for the diagnostic process.

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Computer-based analysis of verbal autopsies: revolution or evolution?

Cited by 2 publications

References 7 publications

Seasonal and temporal trends in all-cause and malaria mortality in rural Burkina Faso, 1998–2007

Seasonal and temporal trends in all-cause and malaria mortality in rural Burkina Faso, 1998–2007

The last century of symptom-oriented research in emergency presentations – have we made any progress?

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