Use of Mobile Apps for epidemic surveillance and response – availability and gaps.

Abstract

Background: Early detection of disease outbreaks, using appropriate surveillance methods, is a basic principle for effective control of epidemics. Indicator-based surveillance methods, such as comprehensive surveillance, sentinel surveillance and syndromic surveillance, have been routinely utilized for early epidemic detection to minimize mortality and morbidity related to emerging infectious disease threats. In addition, event-based surveillance uses unstructured data sources to detect and monitor outbreaks such as media reports, social media and websites. The use of mobile phone technology is growing in many low and middle-income countries, which has made mHealth an efficient means of health communication in such countries for epidemic surveillance, mitigation and response. Mobile Apps may draw data from validated health sources or unvalidated public sources and convey information to responders. The aim of this study was to review mobile Apps used for epidemic surveillance and response.

A review and content analysis of national apps for COVID-19 management using Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS)

“…Besides, mobile apps and other mHealth tools could improve the positions of all stakeholders, including patients, physicians, health insurance companies, and the pharmaceutical industry, 8 and can link patients to their health providers and their health data to establish high-quality care. 9 On the emergence of a novel disease, people tend to be receptive to health-related information conveyed by new media, including the Internet and mobile phones. 10 There is now a substantial body of research that has explored the role of mobile health in the management of outbreaks.…”

“…It is documented that there are at least 26 mobile apps for surveillance of epidemics, mostly free of charge and mostly for laypeople. 9 To sum up, mobile Health technology provides an opportunity to use real-time data to prevent and control the rapidly changing nature of epidemics and diseases. Recent SARS, 13 H1N1, 14 and Ebola 15 outbreaks offer many lessons about the use of mobile health for public health emergencies.…”

Early Detection of Dengue Fever Outbreaks Using a Surveillance App (Mozzify): Cross-sectional Mixed Methods Usability Study

“…Since then, this mosquito-borne viral infection that causes acute, potentially severe flu-like illness has been a leading public health burden in all regions of the country [ 2 ]. While early detection and effective control of epidemics depend on appropriate surveillance methods [ 3 ], the Philippines relies on a passive surveillance method that mainly depends on notifications from barangay/village health centers, municipal or city health offices, hospitals and clinics, and quarantine sections [ 4 - 6 ]. This limits reports of cases that are clinically diagnosed without laboratory confirmation [ 4 , 7 ] which is only a portion (14.3%) of the dengue cases [ 8 , 9 ].…”

An overview of mobile applications (apps) to support the coronavirus disease 2019 response in India

“…A list of COVID-19 specific functions was compiled based on the review of the selected apps, the literature on epidemic surveillance 6 18 19 , and national and international media reports 13 20 21 . The WHO guideline on Digital Health Interventions was used to classify the app functions under the categories of the clients (general public), health workers, health system managers and data services 17 .…”