Data collection during early epidemic periods currently lack standardization, which contributes to variability in data quality that is used to inform clinical trials and policy, and complicate comparisons of early epidemiological patterns. By standardizing these methods, we can improve our understanding of early epidemics, empowering public health authorities and impacted communities to respond more effectively and fairly.
The objective of this scoping review is to identify, map, and characterize the non-randomized observational data collection methods that have been employed during the early stages, or first 12 months, of SARS-1, H1N1, Zika Virus, and Ebola epidemics from 2000-2019.