One Health timeliness metrics to track and evaluate outbreak response reporting: A scoping review

Background As the global population soars, human behaviours are increasing the risk of epidemics. Objective performance evaluation of outbreak responses requires that metrics of timeliness, or speed in response time, be recorded and reported. We sought to evaluate how timeliness data are being conveyed for multisectoral outbreaks and make recommendations on how One Health metrics can be used to improve response success. Methods We conducted a scoping review of outbreaks reported January 1, 2010- March 15, 2020, in organizational reports and peer-reviewed literature on PubMed and Embase databases. We tracked 11 outbreak milestones and calculated timeliness metrics, the median time in days, between the following: 1) Predict; 2) Prevent; 3) Start; 4) Detect; 5) Notify; 6) Verify; 7) Diagnostic; 8) Respond; 9) Communication; 10) End; and 11) After-Action Review. Findings We identified 26783 outbreak reports, 1014 of which involved more than just the human health sector. Only six of the eleven milestones were mentioned in > 50% of reports. The time between most milestones was on average shorter for outbreaks reporting both Predict (alert of a potential outbreak) and Prevent (response to predictive alert) events. Interpretation Tracking progress in timeliness during outbreaks can focus efforts to prevent outbreaks from evolving into epidemics or pandemics. Response to predictive alerts demonstrated improved expediency in time to most milestones. We recommend the adoption of universally defined One Health outbreak milestones, including After Action Review, such that timeliness metrics can be used to assess outbreak response improvements over time. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

This study conducted a scoping review of outbreak reports and literature to evaluate how timeliness data are being conveyed for multisectoral outbreaks and made recommendations on how One Health metrics can be used to improve response success. The results showed that only a few milestones were widely reported, and the time between milestones was shorter in outbreaks involving predictive and preventive events. Tracking progress in timeliness during outbreaks can help prevent them from becoming epidemics or pandemics.