Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37214658›Full record

ArticleDigital health

Use of digital technologies for public health surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.

Lorie Donelle, Leigha Comer, Brad Hiebert, Jodi Hall, Jacob J Shelley, Maxwell J Smith, Anita Kothari, Jacquelyn Burkell, Saverio Stranges, Tommy Cooke and 4 more

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Lorie DonelleCollege of Nursing, University of South Carolina, USA.
Leigha ComerArthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8848-8685
Brad HiebertArthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, Canada.
Jodi HallArthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, Canada.
Jacob J ShelleyWestern Law, Western University, Canada.
Maxwell J SmithSchool of Health Studies, Western University, Canada.
Anita KothariSchool of Health Studies, Western University, Canada.
Jacquelyn BurkellFaculty of Information and Media Studies, Western University, Canada.
Saverio StrangesSchulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, Canada.
Tommy CookeSurveillance Studies Centre, Queen's University, Canada.
James M ShelleyArthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, Canada.
Jason GillilandDepartment of Geography and Environment, Western University, Canada.
Marionette NgoleArthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, Canada.
Danica FaccaFaculty of Information and Media Studies, Western University, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3150-4805

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a variety of digital technologies have been leveraged for public health surveillance worldwide. However, concerns remain around the rapid development and deployment of digital technologies, how these technologies have been used, and their efficacy in supporting public health goals. Following the five-stage scoping review framework, we conducted a scoping review of the peer-reviewed and grey literature to identify the types and nature of digital technologies used for surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic and the success of these measures. We conducted a search of the peer-reviewed and grey literature published between 1 December 2019 and 31 December 2020 to provide a snapshot of questions, concerns, discussions, and findings emerging at this pivotal time. A total of 147 peer-reviewed and 79 grey literature publications reporting on digital technology use for surveillance across 90 countries and regions were retained for analysis. The most frequently used technologies included mobile phone devices and applications, location tracking technologies, drones, temperature scanning technologies, and wearable devices. The utility of digital technologies for public health surveillance was impacted by factors including uptake of digital technologies across targeted populations, technological capacity and errors, scope, validity and accuracy of data, guiding legal frameworks, and infrastructure to support technology use. Our findings raise important questions around the value of digital surveillance for public health and how to ensure successful use of technologies while mitigating potential harms not only in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also during other infectious disease outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics.

Indexed as

appsconnected devicesCOVID-19digital healthpublic healthsurveillancesystematic reviewswearables

Identifiers

PMID37214658
PMCPMC10196539

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.