Assessment of the Hepatitis C Surveillance System in Henan, China: 2014~2016

OBJECTIVES: To access the Hepatitis C (HepC) surveillance program in Henan, China, 2014~2016. METHODS: A total of 8,448 HepC-relevant cases were reviewed and this data was then inquired against the 6,147 archived HepC reports during the same time period. The performance of the HepC surveillance program was evaluated using parameters including Timely Reporting Rate (TRR), pairs of Report Sensitivity (RS)/Underreporting Rate (UR), and False Report Rate (FRR)/Predictive Value Positive (PVP). Longitudinal comparisons of report quality over the three examined years were conducted to determine the temporal trend of HepC surveillance accountability. RESULTS: All HepC reports were submitted within 24 hours post diagnosis, and TRR rates for all examined years remained at 100%. The RS rates significantly improved overtime for clinically diagnosed HepC cases (CDHC) (2014:60.32%, 2015:68.13%, and 2016:82.83%), whereas the RS for confirmed HepC cases (CHC) remained relatively constant (80.77%, 88.64%, and 85.82%). The FRR rates for CDHC and CHC in 2015~2016 were both approximately 30% but at 23.61% and 51.85%, respectively, in 2014. CONCLUSIONS: The HepC surveillance system in Henan remains effective and consistent improvement in report accountability was observed over time. However, some issues concerning especially RS and PVP remained to be addressed for ensuring data accountsbility.