Search
- Page Path
- HOME > Search
Original Article
- Evaluation of the acute hepatitis B surveillance system in the Republic of Korea following the transition to mandatory surveillance
- Jaehwa Chung, Jeonghee Yu, Myeongeun Cheon, Sangwoo Tak
- Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2024;15(4):353-363. Published online August 1, 2024
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2024.0083
- 716 View
- 37 Download
- 1 Crossref
-
Graphical Abstract
Abstract
PDF 
- Objectives
The prevalence of hepatitis B in the Republic of Korea has declined, yet the disease burden persists. After various changes in targets and methods, the national hepatitis B surveillance system now exclusively monitors acute cases. We aimed to assess the alignment of this system with its intended purpose and to recommend improvements supporting the national strategic plan for viral hepatitis management.
Methods
This study assessed acute hepatitis B cases reported to the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s mandatory surveillance system over a 10-year period (2013–2022). It evaluated 5 factors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Updated Guidelines for Evaluating Public Health Surveillance Systems: simplicity, positive predictive value, data quality, timeliness, and usefulness.
Results
The nonspecific nature of acute hepatitis B symptoms, along with the complexity of diagnostic criteria, indicated a high potential for misreporting. The surveillance system demonstrated a high positive predictive value (94.4%), with data quality and timeliness also rated high. However, data following the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic indicate the need for improvement. Moreover, given the relative importance of specific characteristics of chronic infectious diseases, only limited interventions are implementable through the current surveillance system.
Conclusion
The evaluation of the Republic of Korea’s acute hepatitis B surveillance system revealed high positive predictive value, data quality, and timeliness. However, improvements can be made in the misreporting of chronic cases and the system’s usefulness. More accurate reflection of the characteristics of acute hepatitis B cases is essential for better management of viral hepatitis. -
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
- From Paper to Digital: Performance and Challenges of the Electronic Hepatitis B Surveillance System in Ninh Binh, Northern Vietnam (2017–2022)
Hien T. Nguyen, Thai Q. Pham, Duc M. Hoang, Quang D. Tran, Giang T. Chu, Thuong T. Nguyen, Nam H. Le, Huyen T. Nguyen, Khanh C. Nguyen, Florian Vogt
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease.2024; 9(12): 299. CrossRef
- From Paper to Digital: Performance and Challenges of the Electronic Hepatitis B Surveillance System in Ninh Binh, Northern Vietnam (2017–2022)
First
Prev
