The Problem
As Duke students, faculty, and staff looked forward to reengaging in campus activities for the fall 2020 semester, the need arose fora technology solution focused on early detection of COVID-19 symptoms and tracking potential cases. In response to this need, Duke University used the secure REDCap platform to build a daily symptom reporting Web portal. This REDCap based system served the initial need, but there was consensus to extend the solution with a mobile app that was simple to use and facilitated daily symptom reporting compliance. The initial capabilities envisioned for the mobile app were:
- Integration with Duke single sign-on and multi-factor identity verification, to ensurethatall data was captured in the context of a valid Duke identity.
- Capture of daily self-reported coronavirus related symptoms.
- Daily reminders to self-report symptoms, to encourage and facilitate reporting compliance.
- Capture of self-reported campus arrival and departure, to assist in tracking the location of individuals who report symptoms of concern.
- Capture(scan) of barcode on a self-administered test kit, to support downstream tracking of test results and disposition of test kits.
Our Solution
DIHI partnered with the Duke Office of Information Technology (OIT) to build the mobile app platform, named SymMon, with the goal of it being available in app stores when students returned to campus — less than four weeks from project initiation. The DIHI/OIT partnership turned out to be very effective. Duke OIT expedited provisioning of required infrastructure such as identity management services, application servers, and database servers, while DIHI focused on building the application components. The mobile app, which runs on both iOS and Android devices, communicates with a Web services API that captures all self-reported data and stores it in a secure database hosted by the OIT team. The OIT team integrates this data back into the broader REDCap system to support coronavirus tracking workflow for Student Health and Employee Occupational Health & Wellness (EOHW).
After four weeks of development sprints, the app was deployed for limited use by returning student athletes, and a few weeks later to the broader Duke community. The user population quickly ramped up to over 11,000 daily users on weekdays, with very few reported issues.
The app was also extended to support periodic surveillance testing. Students and staff use the app to scan the barcode on a self-administered test kit. This scan action links the test kit to their DukeCard ID and allows the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) to track the sample test results and disposition.
Impact
Charley Kneifel, PhD, Senior Technical Director at OIT, said, “The impact of the SymMon app and DIHI’s contribution to the app cannot be overstated. The app has been a significant contributor to the successful reopening of Duke for both research needs and to the students living on campus and in the surrounding area. The inclusion of the barcode feature has been instrumental in making it possible for Duke to test well north of 12,000 students, faculty, and staff on a weekly basis.”
