Use of a Web Forum and an Online Questionnaire in the Detection and Investigation of an Outbreak

Authors

  • Tammy Leigh Stuart Chester Office of Public Health Practice, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  • Marsha Taylor British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Jat Sandhu Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada AND School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Sara Forsting Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Andrea Ellis Foodborne, Waterborne and Zoonotic Infections Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
  • Rob Stirling Office of Public Health Practice, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  • Eleni Galanis British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada AND School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v3i1.3506

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.

Author Biography

Tammy Leigh Stuart Chester, Office of Public Health Practice, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Dr. Tammy Stuart Chester obtained her PhD from the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba. Subsequent to that she completed the Public Health Agency of Canada's (PHAC) Canadian Field Epidemiology Program. She currently works as a PHAC Public Health Officer-Epidemiologist. Her interests include outbreak investigations and applied public health research.

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Published

2011-06-22

How to Cite

Stuart Chester, T. L., Taylor, M., Sandhu, J., Forsting, S., Ellis, A., Stirling, R., & Galanis, E. (2011). Use of a Web Forum and an Online Questionnaire in the Detection and Investigation of an Outbreak. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v3i1.3506

Issue

Section

Original Articles