Case Counting in Epidemiology: Limitations of Methods Based on Multiple Data Sources

The application of capture-recapture methods in epidemiology has been proposed as an alternative to field surveys. This methodology is important for the future of epidemiology and deserves a critical analysis.This paper reviews conditions for applying the capture-recapture models to epidemiological data, taking into account practical considerations, in particular the problem of case definition.The underlying assumptions are particularly...