MOZambique snApshot of emeRging Trends (MOZART) Disease Surveillance Study

The MOZART Disease Surveillance Study is a prospective, multi-centred study with random profiling of representative case presentations at three tertiary hospitals in Mozambique (Hospital Geral de Mavalane, Hospital Central da Beira and Hospital Central de Nampula). For each participating hospital, electronic surveys will be conducted face-to-face for 30 consecutive days at a time (primary outcome data). A minimum target of 1000 participants will determine the ratio/proportion of all cases selected for more detailed profiling at each site. Accordingly all emergency presentations during the study period will be monitored via the point of entry to the hospital's emergency department with basic information recorded to determine the overall case-load of emergency presentations during the 30-day snap-shot period. Based on their order of presentation (selection of every fifth or sixth case), participants will be approached by MOZART personnel , and if informed consent is provided, subject to more detailed clinical following (including hospital outcome). The 30-day snapshots will be replicated at all three sites to capture seasonal changes in profile between the wet and dry seasons (secondary outcome data). As noted, all patients presenting to the Emergency Departments during the study period will be eligible for screening and those recruited by trained health professionals will be followed from point-of-admission up until discharge. Two Microsoft Access Questionnaire Databases were conceived jointly by Instituto Nacional de Saude (INS), Mozambique and the Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research (MMIHR), Australian Catholic University, Australia. A final version was built in Portuguese at MMIHR where the Patients Registration profile (name, residential suburb, contact details and hospital identification) are collected at the participating hospitals on dedicated study laptops and then stored with the INS to ensure the privacy of each patient. Health data (basic demographics, risk profile, medical history, admission details, and treatment) for each patient are then anonymously recorded on an external database and then transferred to, analysed, recorded, and stored by Data Management at the MMIHR. The methodologically and systematically closed- and open-questions in the electronic database provides efficient means of data entry, storage, and management.