The Swedish Healthcare Guide 1177 and Symptoms reported through it may aid in surveillance and predict COVID-19 hospital admissions
The Swedish Healthcare Guide 1177 is a valuable resource for medical advice and patient triage, with untapped potential for predicting viral outbreaks. By analyzing COVID-19 data and sociodemographic trends, we aim to develop adaptable models for future pandemics, improving predictions of virus spread and hospitalizations, especially in disadvantaged populations.
Project description
The Swedish Healthcare Guide 1177 in Sweden is a healthcare service that offers 24/7 medical advice in multiple languages, including Swedish and English. This service has helped reduce the burden on the healthcare system by triaging patients over the phone, directing them to the appropriate level of care, and providing self-care advice when possible. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 1177 hotline played a crucial role in managing public health. It provided timely information and guidance, helping to alleviate the pressure on hospitals and clinics by addressing concerns and symptoms over the phone. Over the years, this hotline has collected valuable data on health and symptom reporting, yet its potential for enhancing disease surveillance efforts remains underexplored.
Our project aims to explore how data from 1177 can improve syndromic surveillance and contribute to pandemic preparedness. We will analyze the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of individuals using the service, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on shifts in healthcare-seeking behavior and trends in symptom reporting.
By utilizing data on symptoms, caller demographics, and healthcare utilization patterns, we aim to build predictive models capable of forecasting viral outbreaks, specifically focusing on COVID-19 hospital admissions. These models will use real-time data from 1177 to estimate regional prevalence of symptomatic cases and predict hospitalizations. The approach will help identify high-risk populations and regions, allowing for a more targeted public health response.
Ultimately, this research will develop adaptable methods that can be applied to future viral outbreaks, enhancing preparedness efforts and offering insights into the use of national healthcare advice lines in public health surveillance. The findings could help shape policies for scaling similar services globally.