To notify or not to notify: decision aid for policy makers on whether to make an infectious disease mandatorily notifiable

Abstract

Mandatory notification can be a useful tool to support infectious disease prevention and control. Guidelines are needed to help policymakers decide whether mandatory notification of an infectious disease is appropriate. We developed a decision aid, based on a range of criteria previously used in the Netherlands or in other regions to help decide whether to make a disease notifiable. Criteria were categorised as being effective, feasible and necessary with regard to the relevance of mandatory notification. Expert panels piloted the decision aid. Here we illustrate its use for three diseases (Vibrio vulnificus infection, chronic Q fever and dengue fever) for which mandatory notification was requested. For dengue fever, the expert panel advised mandatory notification; for V. vulnificus infection and chronic Q fever, the expert panel concluded that mandatory notification was not (yet) justified. Use of the decision aid led to a structured, transparent decision making process and a thorough assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of mandatory notification of these diseases. It also helped identify knowledge gaps that required further research before a decision could be made. We therefore recommend use of this aid for public health policy making.

Assessment of the risk of foodborne transmission and burden of hepatitis E in Switzerland

“…Making hepatitis E a notifiable disease is a requirement for further health impact assessments. In accordance with Bijkerk et al (2015), the workload of case reporting programmes needs to be balanced against expected public health benefits. Bauernart, Knoblauchwurst, Salsiz, Rauchwurst, Bündner Beinwurst, Bauernschüblig, Walliser Hauswurst, Rauchsalami, Saucisse d'Ajoie, Pantli, Alpenklubler, Touristenwurst,Schweinsbr atwurst, Luganighe, Zampone, Frankfurterli, Cotechini, Longeole, Engadiner, Glarner Kälberwurst, Hallauer Schinkenwurst, Schweinswurst, Berner Zungenwurst, Brianzola, Bierwurst, Emmentaler, Fleischkäse, Kümmelwurst, Lyoner (Aufschnittbrät), Tessiner Terrine, Schützenwurst, Frauenfelder Salzissen, Kalbsbratwurst, Cervelas, Knacker, St. Galler Kalbsbratwurst, St. Galler Stumpen, St. Galler Schüblig, Wienerli *) Based on http://www.abzspiez.ch/ Table A.…”

Acute hepatitis C infection among adults with HIV in the Netherlands between 2003 and 2016: a capture–recapture analysis for the 2013 to 2016 period

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A prospective cohort study to assess seroprevalence, incidence, knowledge, attitudes and practices, willingness to pay for vaccine and related risk factors in dengue in a high incidence setting

“…This information together with estimates of the frequency of symptomatic underreporting of cases by the system of epidemiological surveillance, as well as, the perceived demand for vaccines by the population and circulating serotypes in the different municipalities, will assist public health officers in their decision making role [48, 49]. It will help identify vulnerable groups and modifiable factors in the human population and environment for which intervention will be useful and age groups that could benefit from vaccination, once this becomes available [42].…”