Digital technologies in the public-health response to COVID-19

Jobie Budd, Benjamin S. Miller, Erin M. Manning, Vasileios Lampos, Mengdie Zhuang, Michael Edelstein, Geraint Rees, Vincent C. Emery, Molly M. Stevens, Neil Keegan, Michael J. Short, Deenan Pillay, Ed Manley, Ingemar J. Cox, David Heymann, Anne M. Johnson, Rachel A. McKendry

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Digital technologies are being harnessed to support the public-health response to COVID-19 worldwide, including population surveillance, case identification, contact tracing and evaluation of interventions on the basis of mobility data and communication with the public. These rapid responses leverage billions of mobile phones, large online datasets, connected devices, relatively low-cost computing resources and advances in machine learning and natural language processing. This Review aims to capture the breadth of digital innovations for the public-health response to COVID-19 worldwide and their limitations, and barriers to their implementation, including legal, ethical and privacy barriers, as well as organizational and workforce barriers. The future of public health is likely to become increasingly digital, and we review the need for the alignment of international strategies for the regulation, evaluation and use of digital technologies to strengthen pandemic management, and future preparedness for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1183-1192
Number of pages10
JournalNature Medicine
Volume26
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Aug 2020
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology

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