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Related Experiment Videos

Using smartphone apps in STD interviews to find sexual partners.

Melissa Pennise1, Roxana Inscho1, Kate Herpin1

  • 1Monroe County Department of Public Health, Rochester, NY.

Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)
|May 2, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Disease intervention specialists used smartphone technology to enhance contact tracing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among men who have sex with men. This approach improved partner elicitation and notification, aiding in case finding.

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Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Digital Health

Background:

  • Smartphone applications are increasingly utilized for casual sexual encounters, elevating the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
  • Traditional methods of contact tracing in STD investigations can be augmented by integrating smartphone technology into field interviews.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of smartphone technology in enhancing contact elicitation during STD investigations.
  • To assess the impact of using smartphone apps by disease intervention specialists (DISs) in identifying and notifying sexual partners.

Main Methods:

  • A large, multi-infection STD investigation was conducted among men who have sex with men (MSM) using index case and cluster interviews.
  • Disease intervention specialists utilized smartphone apps to access partner information (inboxes, profiles) when traditional contact details were unavailable.

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  • Social network mapping was employed to visualize the investigation's scope and the influence of smartphone access.

    • Main Results:

    • Smartphone technology facilitated the elicitation of an average of eight partners per interview.
    • Of the 117 sexual dyads, 21 originated online or via smartphone apps.
    • Smartphone-assisted methods led to the location and notification of exposed partners, contributing to the identification of new STD/HIV cases.

    Conclusions:

    • The integration of smartphone technology by DISs in field settings significantly improved the efficiency of contact elicitation.
    • This technological enhancement resulted in successful partner notification and contributed to effective STD/HIV case finding.