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Updated: Aug 16, 2025
An Application for Pairing with Wearable Devices to Monitor Personal Health Status
Published on: February 3, 2022
Infection tracking in travellers using a mobile app (ITIT): The pilot study
Nadja Hedrich1, Thibault Lovey1, Esther Kuenzli2
1University of Zürich, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Hirschengraben 84, 8001, Zürich, Switzerland.
Background:
Current surveillance of travellers' health captures only a small proportion of illness events. We aimed to evaluate the usability and feasibility of using an app to enable travellers to self-report illness.
Method:
This pilot study assesses a novel mobile application called Infection Tracking in Travellers (ITIT) that records travel-related symptoms with associated geolocation and weather data. Participants were recruited in three Swiss travel clinics between December 2021 and March 2022. A feedback survey was used to examine app ease of use, and data from the app was used to examine travel and illness patterns as a proof-of-concept for the larger ITIT study.
Results:
Participants were recruited from Zürich, Basel, and Geneva, with 37 individuals completing a total of 394 questionnaires in 116 locations in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Illness symptoms were reported by 41% of participants, 67% of which were respiratory. The post travel questionnaire showed that all participants found the app easy to use and 63% said they would recommend it to others. Several users provided suggestions for improved usability.
Conclusion:
The app fulfilled its function as a research tool linking infection symptoms with geolocation and climate data.
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