IMPROVED DISEASE REPORTING - A RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF PHYSICIANS

Objectives: To determine if a heightened, passive surveillance system increases the number of physicians reporting two notifiable diseases d uring a six-month period. Methods: We conducted a randomized trial amo ng 145 community-based primary care physicians in two counties in East ern Ontario. Intervention group physicians received a three-part inter vention group to that int he control group. Results: Seventy physician s received the intervention and 75 physicians were in the control grou p. The relative risk for the number of physicians reporting at least o ne case was 5.9 (95% CI 2.6-13.2). Conclusions: The intervention had a n impact on reporting of notifiable diseases by physicians.