Response to exceptional environmental situations: contributions of syndromic surveillance in France
Abstract
Background: Syndromic surveillance (SS) enables early detection of public health threats and population health monitoring. This work aimed to present tools prepared to assess short-term impact for exceptional environmental situations (EES) in France.
Methods: A literature review identified pathologies likely to occur after major environmental events. Corresponding syndromic indicators were selected from the French SS system (SurSaUD®), which includes emergency department (ED) visits (OSCOUR® network) and unplanned GP consultations (SOS Médecins [SOSM]). Lists of indicators were finalized through working groups and analysis of past experiences.
Results: Six priority EES were identified: storms, floods, wildfires, industrial accidents, earthquakes, and droughts. For each, 35–47 indicators (most of them being available for both OSCOUR® and SOSM) were classified into chapters such as digestive, respiratory, infectious diseases, and mental health. Three standard dashboard (DB) templates were developed to monitor short-term variations in the number of ED visits and SOSM medical acts, both all-cause and by indicator. Two DB allow monitoring daily variations compared to the 90 previous days for all ages (DB1) or by age groups (<15, ≥15) with supporting numerical data (DB2). The 3rd DB assesses weekly trend for all ages to enable longer-term analysis. DBs are configurable for different geographic areas and can be set up on the event day (D0) for automatic next-morning production. Additional tools map the residential areas of patients who usually visit each ED and provide typical data completeness at D + 1, aiding in the definition of surveillance areas and data interpretation. Advanced procedures include tagging event-related ED visits and SOSM consultations using predefined associated diagnostic codes.
Conclusions: DBs enable reactive health monitoring during EES, supporting decision-makers in implementing health management measures alongside other data sources.
Key messages: • Dashboards based on syndromic surveillance data are reactive tools for monitoring population health during major environmental events.
• The system’s operability depends on clear preparedness and procedures within a broader health monitoring framework involving multiple stakeholders.
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BibTeX
@article{methy2026response,
title = {{Response to exceptional environmental situations: contributions of syndromic surveillance in France}},
author = {N Méthy and I Pontais and L Simac and E Hassan and V Courtillet and M Conte and P Pirard and J Guillevic and A Mathieu},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.811},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.811},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Response to exceptional environmental situations: contributions of syndromic surveillance in France
AU - N Méthy
AU - I Pontais
AU - L Simac
AU - E Hassan
AU - V Courtillet
AU - M Conte
AU - P Pirard
AU - J Guillevic
AU - A Mathieu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.811
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.811
AB - Background: Syndromic surveillance (SS) enables early detection of public health threats and population health monitoring. This work aimed to present tools prepared to assess short-term impact for exceptional environmental situations (EES) in France. Methods: A literature review identified pathologies likely to occur after major environmental events. Corresponding syndromic indicators were selected from the French SS system (SurSaUD®), which includes emergency department (ED) visits (OSCOUR® network) and unplanned GP consultations (SOS Médecins [SOSM]). Lists of indicators were finalized through working groups and analysis of past experiences. Results: Six priority EES were identified: storms, floods, wildfires, industrial accidents, earthquakes, and droughts. For each, 35–47 indicators (most of them being available for both OSCOUR® and SOSM) were classified into chapters such as digestive, respiratory, infectious diseases, and mental health. Three standard dashboard (DB) templates were developed to monitor short-term variations in the number of ED visits and SOSM medical acts, both all-cause and by indicator. Two DB allow monitoring daily variations compared to the 90 previous days for all ages (DB1) or by age groups (<15, ≥15) with supporting numerical data (DB2). The 3rd DB assesses weekly trend for all ages to enable longer-term analysis. DBs are configurable for different geographic areas and can be set up on the event day (D0) for automatic next-morning production. Additional tools map the residential areas of patients who usually visit each ED and provide typical data completeness at D + 1, aiding in the definition of surveillance areas and data interpretation. Advanced procedures include tagging event-related ED visits and SOSM consultations using predefined associated diagnostic codes. Conclusions: DBs enable reactive health monitoring during EES, supporting decision-makers in implementing health management measures alongside other data sources. Key messages: • Dashboards based on syndromic surveillance data are reactive tools for monitoring population health during major environmental events. • The system’s operability depends on clear preparedness and procedures within a broader health monitoring framework involving multiple stakeholders.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -