RESUMEN
This research delves into the relationship between open data and decision making, drawing insights from the utilization of Minimal Essential Data (MED) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canton Zürich, Switzerland. It examines observations and lessons learned, emphasizing the pivotal role of open data in response to an emergency. Through a case study approach, this article sheds light on the practical implications and observed strategies in publishing open data from digital public health surveillance software. While it is arguable that open data has the potential to enhance data quality in the context of a public health emergency, our findings indicate that it is firstly essential that a Minimal Essential Dataset (MED) is defined and publicly published, an open data publication platform and procedure are secondly in place (ideally following FAIR data principles), and thirdly, that regular data quality reviews are conducted.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiología , Suiza , Humanos , Pandemias , Toma de Decisiones , SARS-CoV-2RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous countries, including the likes of Japan and Germany, initiated, developed, and deployed digital contact tracing solutions in an effort to detect and interrupt COVID-19 transmission chains. These initiatives indicated the willingness of both the Japanese and German governments to support eHealth solution development for public health; however, end user acceptance, trust, and willingness to make use of the solutions delivered through these initiatives are critical to their success. Through a case-based analysis of contact tracing solutions deployed in Japan and Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic we may gain valuable perspectives on the transnational role of digital technologies in crises, while also projecting possible directions for future pandemic technologies. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigate (1) which types of digital contact tracing solutions were developed and deployed by the Japanese and German governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) how many of these solutions are open-source software (OSS) solutions. Our objective is to establish not only the type of applications that may be needed in response to a pandemic from the perspective of 2 geographically diverse, world-leading economies but also how prevalent OSS pandemic technology development has been in this context. METHODS: We analyze the official government websites of Japan and Germany to identify digital solutions that are developed and deployed for contact tracing purposes (for any length of time) during the timeframe January-December 2021, specifically in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We subsequently perform a case-oriented comparative analysis, also identifying which solutions are published as open-source. RESULTS: In Japan, a proximity tracing tool (COVID-19 Contact-Confirming Application [COCOA]) and an outbreak management tool (Health Center Real-time Information-sharing System on COVID-19 [HER-SYS]) with an integrated symptom tracking tool (My HER-SYS) were developed. In Germany, a proximity tracing tool (Corona-Warn-App) and an outbreak management tool (Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System [SORMAS]) were developed. From these identified solutions, COCOA, Corona-Warn-App, and SORMAS were published as open-source, indicating support by both the Japanese and German governments for OSS pandemic technology development in the context of public health. CONCLUSIONS: Japan and Germany showed support for developing and deploying not only digital contact tracing solutions but also OSS digital contact tracing solutions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the open nature of such OSS solutions' source code, software solutions (both OSS and non-OSS) are only as transparent as the live or production environment where their processed data is hosted or stored. Software development and live software hosting are thus 2 sides of the same coin. It is nonetheless arguable that OSS pandemic technology solutions for public health are a step in the right direction for enhanced transparency in the interest of the greater public good.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Salud Pública , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/prevención & control , Japón/epidemiología , Pandemias/prevención & control , Trazado de Contacto , Alemania/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
In recent years, software has evolved from being static, closed source, proprietary products to being dynamic, open source, ecosystems contributing to the global good. To this end, the open source software (OSS) solution and global good, Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS), rapidly adjusted to the demands of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak by introducing a COVID-19 module. This allowed countries that were already making use of the software as part of their public health surveillance infrastructure to make use of the new module in order to respond to the pandemic. New countries in continental Europe, most notably Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and France subsequently chose to adopt the software for public health surveillance purposes for the first time during 2020, requiring additional adaptations to meet local needs. As a result, in this paper, we aim to gain a better understanding of how rapidly SORMAS was adapted to meet global needs by analyzing the SORMAS COVID-19 module introduction timeline, as well as the overall development activity of the software during 2020 and 2021 in response to the pandemic. Favorable initial feature response times in combination with development scale-up possibilities speak to some of the potential advantages of implementing global good OSS tools such as SORMAS for public health surveillance, in response to an emergency. Overall, SORMAS serves as proof of concept for developing a global good OSS solution on an international scale.