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Rob van Hest Capture-recapture Methods in Surveillance - RePub ...

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Chapter 8<br />

Abstract<br />

In 1999 the Enhanced Tuberculosis <strong>Surveillance</strong> system was <strong>in</strong>troduced <strong>in</strong> the United<br />

K<strong>in</strong>gdom to strengthen surveillance of tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to assess<br />

the use of record-l<strong>in</strong>kage and capture-<strong>recapture</strong> methodology for estimat<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

completeness of tuberculosis report<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> England between 1999 and 2002. Due to the<br />

size of the tuberculosis data sources sophisticated record-l<strong>in</strong>kage software was required<br />

and the proportion of false-positive cases among unl<strong>in</strong>ked hospital-derived tuberculosis<br />

records was estimated through a population mixture model. This study shows that recordl<strong>in</strong>kage<br />

of tuberculosis data sources and cross-validation with additional tuberculosisrelated<br />

datasets improves data quality as well as case-ascerta<strong>in</strong>ment. S<strong>in</strong>ce the <strong>in</strong>troduction<br />

of Enhanced Tuberculosis <strong>Surveillance</strong> observed completeness of notification <strong>in</strong> England<br />

has <strong>in</strong>creased and the results are consistent with expected levels of under-notification.<br />

Completeness of notification estimated by a log-l<strong>in</strong>ear capture-<strong>recapture</strong> model is highly<br />

<strong>in</strong>consistent with prior estimates and the validity of this methodology was further<br />

exam<strong>in</strong>ed.<br />

110

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