A qualitative program evaluation of the Publicly Available International Foodborne Outbreak Database

Background: The Publicly Available International Foodborne Outbreak Database (PAIFOD) is a regularly updated repository that contains international outbreak data collected from multiple surveillance systems and sources. As of February 2020, the database contained more than 13,000 entries spanning over 20 years. PAIFOD is the only known database that captures international foodborne outbreak data. Objective: To explore user perceptions and identify potential directions for PAIFOD and make recommendations for databases with food safety information. Methods: Between January and March 2020, 16 semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 24 previous, current and potential PAIFOD users. Interviewees were asked about their knowledge of and experience of using PAIFOD as well as about its strengths and limitations and recommendations for the database. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used to analyze qualitative data and generate themes. Results: Four main themes were generated based on the 24 interviewees’ accounts of their experience with and recommendations for PAIFOD: participants viewed PAIFOD as a useful tool; they weren’t familiar with its contents or purpose; they stated it should become an open-access platform or linked with another information-sharing initiative; and they considered that PAIFOD had the potential to enhance the Agency’s reputation by becoming widely recognized and used. Conclusion: This work, along with the ever-changing landscape of foodborne surveillance, supports the need to ensure that PAIFOD is updated to meet the modern-day demands of food safety experts.