%0 Journal Article
%@ 2369-2960
%I JMIR Publications
%V 6
%N 2
%P e18668
%T A Mobile Health Platform to Disseminate Validated Institutional Measurements During the COVID-19 Outbreak: Utilization-Focused Evaluation Study
%A Zamberg,Ido
%A Manzano,Sergio
%A Posfay-Barbe,Klara
%A Windisch,Olivier
%A Agoritsas,Thomas
%A Schiffer,Eduardo
%+ Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, Geneva, 1205, Switzerland, 41 022 372 33 11, idozamberg@gmail.com
%K covid-19
%K novel coronavirus
%K smartphone
%K SARS-COV-2
%K mHealth
%K knowledge
%K information
%K dissemination
%K health policy
%K infectious disease
%K outbreak
%K public health
%K preparation
%D 2020
%7 14.4.2020
%9 Short Paper
%J JMIR Public Health Surveill
%G English
%X Background: As part of the response plans for the current outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), authorities are drafting and implementing containment measures across jurisdictions worldwide in the effort to slow down transmission and reduce the infection rate. A solid communication strategy is needed to increase the reach of valid information to health professionals, reduce misinformation, and efficiently implement recommended measures. Objective: The aim of this paper is to describe the utilization of a dedicated mobile health (mHealth) platform to disseminate up-to-date and validated information about SARS-CoV-2 to all medical staff of the Children’s Hospital at the University Hospitals of Geneva. Methods: Three documents containing institutional information concerning screening, local containment procedures, and frequently asked questions and answers for parents were made available to the staff through a mobile app developed in the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Using a third-party statistics tool, we anonymously monitored user activity as well as content utilization patterns since the diagnosis of the first case of SARS-CoV-2 in Switzerland on February 25, 2020. Results: From February 25, 2020, to March 13, 2020 (18 days), information documents on SARS-CoV-2 were viewed 859 times, which accounted for 35.6% of the total content views (total views=332). User activity increased significantly with 50.8 (SD 14.4) users per day in this period as compared to the previous weeks (mean 26.4, SD 9.8; P<.001). In addition, session numbers per day more than doubled during the aforementioned period (P<.001). In a survey, medical staff found the information easy to find within the app. On a 10-point Likert scale, the ability of the app to reassure staff in clinical practice was rated as 7.6 (SD 2.1), time-saving ability was rated as 8.5 (SD 2.1), and the need to look for information from other sources was rated as 5.9 (SD 3.3). Conclusions: The use of an mHealth solution to disseminate novel coronavirus–related information seemed to be an effective and time-saving communication channel within our institution during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. Medical staff felt reassured and informed in daily practice. More research should be done on the clinical impact and outcomes of the integration of mHealth solutions as a communication channel of validated information within health institutions. 
%M 32250958
%R 10.2196/18668
%U http://publichealth.jmir.org/2020/2/e18668/
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/18668
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32250958