Capture-recapture methods could help us estimate the numerator of the incidence or prevalence data. Several steps are necessary in the planning and applying capture-recapture technique in the epidemiologic studies. First, there should be clear definitions for the population under study, geographic coverage and time frame. Then one needs to decide the sources for case ascertainment. After that, we can start data collection, perform matching among sources and finally conduct capture-recapture analysis to estimate the number of missing cases. The estimated number then could be used to calculate the incidence or prevalence rates.


Remark. Before conducting any large scale capture-recapture study, researchers should always have a pilot study with cost-effectiveness analysis. An initial small pilot study can provide important information as to the contributions and limitations of sources. Researchers can then decide which sources will be used in the full scale capture-recapture study. Potential problems in the application of capture-recapture in a particular field can also be identified from a pilot study.