RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Influenza and the `spotter' general practitioner
JF The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
JO J R Coll Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP 418
OP 421
VO 38
IS 314
A1 Campbell, Donald M.
A1 Paixao, Maria Teresa
A1 Reid, Daniel
YR 1988
UL http://bjgp.org/content/38/314/418.abstract
AB The title `spotter' practitioner has come to refer particularly to influenza surveillance. Worldwide, a variety of surveillance schemes have been developed, influenced by local health care systems. In the United Kingdom general practitioners can contribute to the Royal College of General Practitioners' weekly returns service or to national or regional schemes. Scotland has had a national system since 1971, supplemented by weekly laboratory returns and local employment and school absenteeism records. Further sources of information about morbidity and their validity need to be explored as does the contribution of new technological developments. However, the prime source – the general medical practitioner – should not be neglected.