Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Srikanta Banerjee

Abstract

In the Republic of Chad, primary care physicians play a central role in the detection and control of outbreaks and are critical actors in the integrated disease surveillance system through mandatory reporting. Feedback on such surveillance must reveal the needs and perceptions of these physicians. These needs and perceptions were examined using a questionnaire survey distributed to a sampling of 20 physicians in Chad. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the role of primary care providers in the integrated disease surveillance to identify factors that impact complete, quality, and timely reporting. The theory of planned behavior was used for the theoretical framework. Interview data collected from the physicians via a purposive sampling strategy were analyzed. The questionnaire used a standardized, validated tool to assess the role and factors that impact complete, quality, and timely reporting related to the integrated disease surveillance system among primary care physicians. Demographics and descriptive analysis of the frequency of responses was performed. Key findings were positive for the importance of the provider's role in case detection and case reporting. These findings offer an understanding of factors that affect the complete, quality, and timely reporting and give insight into how the integrated disease surveillance system might be improved. The data show the physicians understood how to conduct disease reporting, and provide solutions for enhancing the integrated disease surveillance system. These findings support social change by informing the important practice of early detection and reporting of infectious diseases to detect and control future outbreaks.

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