PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
BACKGROUND: The proliferation of digital disease-detection systems has led to an increase in earlier warning signals, which subsequently have resulted in swifter responses to emerging threats. Such highly sensitive systems can also produce weak signals needing additional information for action. The delays in the response to a genuine health threat are often due to the time it takes to verify a health event. It was the delay in outbreak verification that was the main impetus for creating EpiCore.
OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the potential of crowdsourcing information through EpiCore, a network of voluntary human, animal, and environmental health professionals supporting the verification of early warning signals of potential outbreaks and informing risk assessments by monitoring ongoing threats.
METHODS: This paper uses summary statistics to assess whether EpiCore is meeting its goal to accelerate the time to verification of identified potential health events for epidemic and pandemic intelligence purposes from around the world. Data from the EpiCore platform from January 2018 to December 2022 were analyzed to capture request for information response rates and verification rates. Illustrated use cases are provided to describe how EpiCore members provide information to facilitate the verification of early warning signals of potential outbreaks and for the monitoring and risk assessment of ongoing threats through EpiCore and its utilities.
RESULTS: Since its launch in 2016, EpiCore network membership grew to over 3300 individuals during the first 2 years, consisting of professionals in human, animal, and environmental health, spanning 161 countries. The overall EpiCore response rate to requests for information increased by year between 2018 and 2022 from 65.4% to 68.8% with an initial response typically received within 24 hours (in 2022, 94% of responded requests received a first contribution within 24 h). Five illustrated use cases highlight the various uses of EpiCore.
CONCLUSIONS: As the global demand for data to facilitate disease prevention and control continues to grow, it will be crucial for traditional and nontraditional methods of disease surveillance to work together to ensure health threats are captured earlier. EpiCore is an innovative approach that can support health authorities in decision-making when used complementarily with official early detection and verification systems. EpiCore can shorten the time to verification by confirming early detection signals, informing risk-assessment activities, and monitoring ongoing events.
OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the potential of crowdsourcing information through EpiCore, a network of voluntary human, animal, and environmental health professionals supporting the verification of early warning signals of potential outbreaks and informing risk assessments by monitoring ongoing threats.
METHODS: This paper uses summary statistics to assess whether EpiCore is meeting its goal to accelerate the time to verification of identified potential health events for epidemic and pandemic intelligence purposes from around the world. Data from the EpiCore platform from January 2018 to December 2022 were analyzed to capture request for information response rates and verification rates. Illustrated use cases are provided to describe how EpiCore members provide information to facilitate the verification of early warning signals of potential outbreaks and for the monitoring and risk assessment of ongoing threats through EpiCore and its utilities.
RESULTS: Since its launch in 2016, EpiCore network membership grew to over 3300 individuals during the first 2 years, consisting of professionals in human, animal, and environmental health, spanning 161 countries. The overall EpiCore response rate to requests for information increased by year between 2018 and 2022 from 65.4% to 68.8% with an initial response typically received within 24 hours (in 2022, 94% of responded requests received a first contribution within 24 h). Five illustrated use cases highlight the various uses of EpiCore.
CONCLUSIONS: As the global demand for data to facilitate disease prevention and control continues to grow, it will be crucial for traditional and nontraditional methods of disease surveillance to work together to ensure health threats are captured earlier. EpiCore is an innovative approach that can support health authorities in decision-making when used complementarily with official early detection and verification systems. EpiCore can shorten the time to verification by confirming early detection signals, informing risk-assessment activities, and monitoring ongoing events.
摘要：
背景：数字疾病检测系统的激增导致早期警告信号的增加，随后对新出现的威胁做出了更快的反应。这种高度敏感的系统也会产生微弱的信号，需要额外的信息才能采取行动。对真正健康威胁的响应延迟通常是由于验证健康事件所需的时间。爆发验证的延迟是创建EpiCore的主要动力。
目标：本文描述了通过EpiCore进行众包信息的潜力，一个自愿的人类网络，动物,和环境卫生专业人员支持核查潜在疫情的早期预警信号，并通过监测持续威胁为风险评估提供信息。
方法：本文使用汇总统计数据来评估EpiCore是否达到了其目标，即加快验证来自世界各地的流行病和大流行情报目的的潜在健康事件的时间。对EpiCore平台2018年1月至2022年12月的数据进行了分析，以获取信息响应率和验证率的请求。提供了说明性用例，以描述EpiCore成员如何提供信息，以促进对潜在爆发的预警信号的验证，以及通过EpiCore及其实用程序对正在进行的威胁进行监控和风险评估。
结果：自2016年推出以来，EpiCore网络会员人数在头两年内增加到3300多人，由人类专业人士组成，动物,和环境健康，跨越161个国家。在2018年至2022年期间，EpiCore对信息请求的总体响应率从65.4%上升到68.8%，初始响应通常在24小时内收到(2022年，94%的响应请求在24小时内收到了第一笔贡献)。五个示例用例突出了EpiCore的各种用途。
结论：随着全球对促进疾病预防和控制的数据需求持续增长，对于传统和非传统的疾病监测方法来说，合作以确保更早地捕获健康威胁至关重要。EpiCore是一种创新方法，可以在与官方早期发现和验证系统互补使用时支持卫生当局的决策。EpiCore可以通过确认早期检测信号来缩短验证时间，告知风险评估活动，并监控正在发生的事件。
目标：本文描述了通过EpiCore进行众包信息的潜力，一个自愿的人类网络，动物,和环境卫生专业人员支持核查潜在疫情的早期预警信号，并通过监测持续威胁为风险评估提供信息。
方法：本文使用汇总统计数据来评估EpiCore是否达到了其目标，即加快验证来自世界各地的流行病和大流行情报目的的潜在健康事件的时间。对EpiCore平台2018年1月至2022年12月的数据进行了分析，以获取信息响应率和验证率的请求。提供了说明性用例，以描述EpiCore成员如何提供信息，以促进对潜在爆发的预警信号的验证，以及通过EpiCore及其实用程序对正在进行的威胁进行监控和风险评估。
结果：自2016年推出以来，EpiCore网络会员人数在头两年内增加到3300多人，由人类专业人士组成，动物,和环境健康，跨越161个国家。在2018年至2022年期间，EpiCore对信息请求的总体响应率从65.4%上升到68.8%，初始响应通常在24小时内收到(2022年，94%的响应请求在24小时内收到了第一笔贡献)。五个示例用例突出了EpiCore的各种用途。
结论：随着全球对促进疾病预防和控制的数据需求持续增长，对于传统和非传统的疾病监测方法来说，合作以确保更早地捕获健康威胁至关重要。EpiCore是一种创新方法，可以在与官方早期发现和验证系统互补使用时支持卫生当局的决策。EpiCore可以通过确认早期检测信号来缩短验证时间，告知风险评估活动，并监控正在发生的事件。
