The control chart: an epidemiological tool for public health monitoring

Citation
T. Hanslik et al., The control chart: an epidemiological tool for public health monitoring, PUBL HEAL, 115(4), 2001, pp. 277-281
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Public Health & Health Care Science","Envirnomentale Medicine & Public Health
Journal title
PUBLIC HEALTH
ISSN journal
00333506 → ACNP
Volume
115
Issue
4
Year of publication
2001
Pages
277 - 281
Database
ISI
SICI code
0033-3506(200107)115:4<277:TCCAET>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
The objective of the authors is to apply the control chart, a statistical m ethod for quality control used in industry, to public health surveillance. A pilot study was conducted during the 1998 World Football Cup (WFC) by 553 sentinel general practitioners (GPs) throughout France. The average number of cases of communicable, environmental and societal diseases relating to mass gatherings, and the total number of referrals to hospital reported dai ly by a GP, were plotted on a ii-chart for each condition monitored. This a verage was beyond the statistical control limits if it fell outside the 99. 7% confidence interval of the baseline incidences estimated before the WFC. Seven hundred and forty data points representing 262 279 medical encounter s were plotted. Nineteen points exceeded the statistical control limits. No ne of these alerts was confirmed for two consecutive days. Control charts e nsured that the level of the items chosen for general community health surv eillance remained under control.