Using internet search queries for infectious disease surveillance: screening diseases for suitability.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Internet-based surveillance systems provide a novel approach to monitoring infectious diseases. Surveillance systems built on internet data are economically, logistically and epidemiologically appealing and have shown significant promise. The potential for these systems has increased with increased internet availability and shifts in health-related information seeking behaviour. This approach to monitoring infectious diseases has, however, only been applied to single or small groups of select diseases. This study aims to systematically investigate the potential for developing surveillance and early warning systems using internet search data, for a wide range of infectious diseases.

Methods

Official notifications for 64 infectious diseases in Australia were downloa

SUBMITTER: Milinovich GJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4300155 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature