From habits of attrition to modes of inclusion: enhancing the role of private practitioners in routine disease surveillance

Abstract

BackgroundPrivate practitioners are the preferred first point of care in a majority of low and middle-income countries and in this position, best placed for the surveillance of diseases. However their contribution to routine surveillance data is marginal. This systematic review aims to explore evidence with regards to the role, contribution, and involvement of private practitioners in routine disease data notification. We examined the factors that determine the inclusion of, and the participation thereof of private practitioners in disease surveillance activities.MethodsLiterature search was conducted using the PubMed, Web of Knowledge, WHOLIS, and WHO-IRIS databases to identify peer-reviewed and gray full-text documents in English with no limits for year of publication or study design. Forty manuscripts were reviewed.ResultsThe current participation of private practitioners in disease surveillance efforts is appalling. The main barriers to their participation are inadequate knowledge leading to unsatisfactory attitudes and misperceptions that influence their practices. Complicated reporting mechanisms with unclear guidelines, along with unsatisfactory attitudes on behalf of the government and surveillance program managers also contribute to the underreporting of cases. Infrastructural barriers especially the availability of computers and skilled human resources are critical to improving private sector participation in routine disease surveillance.ConclusionThe issues identified are similar to those for underreporting within the Integrated infectious Disease Surveillance and Response systems (IDSR) which collects data mainly from public healthcare facilities. We recommend that surveillance program officers should provide periodic training, supportive supervision and offer regular feedback to the practitioners from both public as well as private sectors in order to improve case notification. Governments need to take leadership and foster collaborative partnerships between the public and private sectors and most importantly exercise regulatory authority where needed.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-017-2476-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Suitability of Google Trends™ for Digital Surveillance During Ongoing COVID-19 Epidemic: A Case Study from India

“…Private health providers who cater to nearly 80% of ambulatory healthcare, do not contribute much to IDSP. 5,6 People seek health information either from curiosity generated by the media, by virtue of their own, or a family member's illness. Health information seeking, sometimes referred to as infodemiology has been suggested as another avenue of disease surveillance.…”

Acceptability of mandatory tuberculosis notification among private practitioners in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

“…Additionally our findings emphasized the need for better intervention coherence. In line with Phalkey et al’s [19] recommendations, the involvement of PPs requires periodic training, supportive supervision, and regular feedback to improve PPs’ compliance with the mandatory TB notification policy. Uplekar [20] described five practical components required to facilitate a fully operational mandatory TB notification system to work optimally: policies and regulations, systems and reporting mechanisms, service provider orientation, feedback, and monitoring and evaluation.…”

An appraisal: how notifiable infectious diseases are reported by Hungarian family physicians

“…Most policy changes in the area of payment systems are inadequately informed by research [ 21 ]. Besides this, several studies identified epidemiological knowledge of the practitioner as the most important determinant of notification [ 15 , 22 – 25 ]. No doubt, there is room for improvement in Hungary as well.…”