Background: Data about the effectiveness of digital contact tracing are based on studies conducted in countries with predominantly high- or middle-income settings. Up to now, little research is done to identify specific problems for the implementation of such technique in low-income countries.
Methods: A Bluetooth-assisted GPS location-based digital contact tracing (DCT) app was tested by 141 participants during 14 days in a hospital in Monrovia, Liberia in February 2020. The DCT app was compared to a paper-based reference system. Hits between participants and 10 designated infected participants were recorded simultaneously by both methods. Additional data about GPS and Bluetooth adherence were gathered and surveys to estimate battery consumption and app adherence were conducted. DCT apps accuracy was evaluated in different settings.
Results: GPS coordinates from 101/141 (71.6%) participants were received. The number of hours recorded by the participants during the study period, true Hours Recorded (tHR), was 496.3 h (1.1% of maximum Hours recordable) during the study period. With the paper-based method 1075 hits and with the DCT app five hits of designated infected participants with other participants have been listed. Differences between true and maximum recording times were due to failed permission settings (45%), data transmission issues (11.3%), of the participants 10.1% switched off GPS and 32.5% experienced other technical or compliance problems. In buildings, use of Bluetooth increased the accuracy of the DCT app (GPS + BT 22.9 m ± 21.6 SD vs. GPS 60.9 m ± 34.7 SD; p = 0.004). GPS accuracy in public transportation was 10.3 m ± 10.05 SD with a significant (p = 0.007) correlation between precision and phone brand. GPS resolution outdoors was 10.4 m ± 4.2 SD.
Conclusion: In our study several limitations of the DCT together with the impairment of GPS accuracy in urban settings impede the solely use of a DCT app. It could be feasible as a supplement to traditional manual contact tracing. DKRS, DRKS00029327 . Registered 20 June 2020 - Retrospectively registered.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9859743 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14888-x | DOI Listing |
JMIR Hum Factors
June 2024
Institute for Multimedia and Interactive Systems, Universität zu Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
Background: In pandemic situations, digital contact tracing (DCT) can be an effective way to assess one's risk of infection and inform others in case of infection. DCT apps can support the information gathering and analysis processes of users aiming to trace contacts. However, users' use intention and use of DCT information may depend on the perceived benefits of contact tracing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth Policy
June 2024
Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
Background: Digital contact tracing (DCT) aims to improve time-to-isolation (timeliness) and find more potentially exposed individuals (sensitivity) to enhance the utility of contact tracing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the public uptake of a DCT self-service survey and its integration with the Bluetooth exposure notification system within the New Zealand Covid Tracer App (NZCTA).
Methods: We adopted a retrospective cohort study design using community COVID-19 cases from February 2022 to August 2022 in New Zealand (1.
Epidemiol Infect
April 2024
Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
Transl Clin Pharmacol
March 2024
Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) consist of off-site trial-related procedures referred to as decentralized elements. We aimed to provide an overview of the landscape of DCTs by comparing regulatory guidance reports and analyzing decentralized elements from clinical trial registries. Two guidance reports on DCTs published by the U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth Expect
April 2024
Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
Background: Digital contact tracing (DCT) was a central component of the global response to containing COVID-19. Research has raised concerns that DCT could exacerbate inequities, yet the experiences of diverse communities at greater risk from COVID-19 are typically underrepresented.
Methods: The present study aimed to understand the perceived barriers to the adoption of the app amongst Māori, Pasifika, and disabled people.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!