Sentinel GP respiratory surveillance
Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
2000
1. Monitor COVID-19/influenza-like illness (ILI) disease incidence in the community
2. Provide an early warning system for the circulation of influenza virus, SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other respiratory viruses (ORV) with epidemic/pandemic potential
3. Monitor the epidemiology of COVID-19, influenza, RSV and ORV in the community and to determine which age groups and risk groups are most affected, so that targeted public health interventions (vaccines and antivirals) can be implemented
4. Identify SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses circulating in the community for the timely detection of genotypic/phenotypic changes and to assess vaccine strain match and antiviral resistance
5. Monitor COVID-19 and influenza vaccine effectiveness in primary care.
Data collection commenced in 2000. Data collection is weekly (Monday-Sunday) and runs year-round.
As of 8th August 2022, the Irish sentinel GP network comprised of 61 general practices (including 173 general practitioners) nationally and covered approximately 6.9% of the national population (2016 CSO census) and 5% of all Irish GPs.
The sentinel GP surveillance system is a collaborative surveillance project involving sentinel GPs, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) and the National Virus Reference Laboratory (NVRL).
Currently, the sentinel GP network monitors patients consulting with influenza-like illness (ILI)/COVID-19 symptomatic patients. The influenza and COVID-19 case definitions are published on the HPSC website. A combined nasal and throat swab is taken from symptomatic patients and sent to the NVRL for PCR testing for influenza, SARS-CoV-2, RSV and ORVs. HPSC collate and analyse clinical, epidemiological and laboratory data and produce weekly/monthly surveillance reports.
HPSC, NVRL, ICGP, Departments of Public Health, HSE, Department of Health, the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC), World Health Organisation (WHO) and other stakeholders.
Patient demographics include date of birth, gender and diagnosis. Epidemiological data includes vaccination status and laboratory test results.
Data dictionary is not available online.
No.
Gender.
Participating sentinel GPs report a basic dataset on ILI clinical consultations each week to the sentinel GP coordinator. The sentinel GP coordinator collates the data and reports it to HPSC each week. These data are used for calculating sentinel GP ILI consultation rates. A more detailed epidemiological dataset is reported on Healthlink as part of the sentinel GP COVID-19 referral process, which at the time of publication was integrated into processes for COVID-19 community testing centres. HPSC access these referral data via the Healthlink reporting portal. Virological data from the sentinel GP network are reported to HPSC from the NVRL each week. Clinical, epidemiological and virological data are formatted and validated, analysed and reported by HPSC.
- Influenza-like illness/influenza case definition (as per the ECDC case definition) published on HPSC website.
- COVID-19 interim case definition published on HPSC website.
The average number of annual clinical ILI consultations reported from the sentinel GP network (2016-2021*) is 2,526 and 1,318 sentinel GP ILI virological specimens tested.
*Please note as of March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of ILI consultations reported and specimens tested.
Weekly/monthly and annual reports, published on HPSC website. https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/influenza/seasonalinfluenza/surveillance/influenzasurveillancereports/
Data requests can be submitted via hpsc@hse.ie and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
No.
At the time of publication, sentinel GP surveillance was integrated into processes at COVID-19 community testing centres and was under review.