Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39476854›Full record

Observational studyJMIR formative research2024

Person-Centered Web-Based Mobile Health System (Symptoms) for Reporting Symptoms in COVID-19 Vaccinated Individuals: Observational Study of System, Users, and Symptoms.

Emelie Gustafson Hedov, Fredrik Nyberg, Stefan Gustafsson, Huiqi Li, Magnus Gisslén, Johan Sundström

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in JMIR formative research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Effect of theBMJ open · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
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

6 authors.

Emelie Gustafson HedovDepartment of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-1789-1471
Fredrik NybergSchool of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-0892-5668
Stefan GustafssonDepartment of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-5894-0351
Huiqi LiSchool of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-1127-0829
Magnus GisslénDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-2357-1020
Johan SundströmDepartment of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-2247-8454

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe full spectrum of side effects from COVID-19 vaccinations and infections, including milder symptoms or health effects that do not lead to health care visits, remains unknown. Person-centered self-reporting of symptoms may offer a solution. Monitoring patient-reported outcomes over time will vary in importance for different patients. Individuals have unique needs and preferences, in terms of both communication methods and how the collected information is used to support care.

objectiveThis study aims to describe how Symptoms, a system for person-centered self-reporting of symptoms and health-related quality of life, was utilized in investigating COVID-19 vaccine side effects. We illustrate this by presenting data from the Symptoms system in newly vaccinated individuals from the RECOVAC (Register-based large-scale national population study to monitor COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness and safety) study.

methodsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, newly vaccinated individuals were identified as the ideal population to query for milder symptoms related to COVID-19 vaccinations and infections. To this end, we used posters in observation areas at 150 vaccination sites across the Västra Götaland region of Sweden, inviting newly vaccinated individuals to use a novel digital system, Symptoms. In the Symptoms system, users can track their symptoms, functioning, and quality of life as often as they wish, using evidence-based patient-reported outcome measures and short numeric rating scales. These scales cover a prespecified list of symptoms based on common COVID-19 symptoms and previously reported vaccine side effects. Participants could also use numeric rating scales for self-defined symptoms if their symptom was not included on the prespecified list.

resultsA total of 731 people created user accounts and consented to share data for research between July 21, 2021, and September 27, 2022. The majority of users were female (444/731, 60.7%), with a median age of 38 (IQR 30-47) years. Most participants (498/702, 70.9%) did not report any of the comorbidities included in the questionnaire. Of the 731 participants, 563 (77.0%) reported experiencing 1 or more symptoms. The most common symptom was pain at the injection site (486/563, 86.3%), followed by fatigue (181/563, 32.1%) and headache (169/563, 30.0%). In total, 143 unique symptoms were reported. Of these, 29 were from the prespecified list, while the remaining 114 (79.7%) were self-defined entries in the symptom field. This suggests that the flexibility of the self-directed system-allowing individuals to decide which symptoms they consider worth tracking-may be an important feature.

conclusionsSelf-reported symptoms in the Symptoms system appeared to align with previously observed post-COVID-19 vaccination symptoms. The system was relatively easy to use and successfully captured broad, longitudinal data. Its person-centered and self-directed design seemed crucial in capturing the full burden of symptoms experienced by users.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesTelemedicineAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresQuality of LifeSARS-CoV-2Self ReportSwedenVaccinationCOVID-19 VaccinesappsCOVID-19mHealthmobile healthpatient-reported outcomesvaccination side effectsweb-based symptom reporting

Identifiers

PMID39476854
PMCPMC11561448

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.