Participatory Surveillance Based on Crowdsourcing During the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Using the Guardians of Health Platform: Descriptive Study.

Onicio Leal Neto,Oswaldo Cruz,Wayner Vieira De Souza,Eduarda Ângela Pessoa Cesse,Jones Albuquerque,Mariana Nacarato De Sousa,Mark Smolinski,Marlo Libel

doi:10.2196/16119

Abstract

BackgroundWith the evolution of digital media, areas such as public health are adding new platforms to complement traditional systems of epidemiological surveillance. Participatory surveillance and digital epidemiology have become innovative tools for the construction of epidemiological landscapes with citizens’ participation, improving traditional sources of information. Strategies such as these promote the timely detection of warning signs for outbreaks and epidemics in the region.ObjectiveThis study aims to describe the participatory surveillance platform Guardians of Health, which was used in a project conducted during the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and officially used by the Brazilian Ministry of Health for the monitoring of outbreaks and epidemics.MethodsThis is a descriptive study carried out using secondary data from Guardians of Health available in a public digital repository. Based on syndromic signals, the information subsidy for decision making by policy makers and health managers becomes more dynamic and assertive. This type of information source can be used as an early route to understand the epidemiological scenario.ResultsThe main result of this research was demonstrating the use of the participatory surveillance platform as an additional source of information for the epidemiological surveillance performed in Brazil during a mass gathering. The platform Guardians of Health had 7848 users who generated 12,746 reports about their health status. Among these reports, the following were identified: 161 users with diarrheal syndrome, 68 users with respiratory syndrome, and 145 users with rash syndrome.ConclusionsIt is hoped that epidemiological surveillance professionals, researchers, managers, and workers become aware of, and allow themselves to use, new tools that improve information management for decision making and knowledge production. This way, we may follow the path for a more intelligent, efficient, and pragmatic disease control system.

Highlights

Participatory surveillance has been a reality in many parts of the world, improving traditional health surveillance systems and engaging the population to build epidemiological scenarios [1-8]
Participatory surveillance systems usually work in similar ways, where the user is able to make a self-report of symptoms periodically
This work aims to describe the participatory surveillance platform Guardians of Health, a project conducted during the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, which is officially used by the Brazilian Ministry of Health for the monitoring of outbreaks and epidemics

Summary

Introduction

Participatory surveillance has been a reality in many parts of the world, improving traditional health surveillance systems and engaging the population to build epidemiological scenarios [1-8]. The approach adopted is syndromic (ie, the data collection is specific for symptoms that make up groups of diseases), calibrating the sensitivity and specificity of the systems Some platforms, such as Saúde na Copa [22], Flu Near You [16], or FluTracking [31], use engagement strategies to ensure the user's adherence for regular participation within the system. Participatory surveillance and digital epidemiology have become innovative tools for the construction of epidemiological landscapes with citizens’ participation, improving traditional sources of information Strategies such as these promote the timely detection of warning signs for outbreaks and epidemics in the region. Conclusions: It is hoped that epidemiological surveillance professionals, researchers, managers, and workers become aware of, and allow themselves to use, new tools that improve information management for decision making and knowledge production This way, we may follow the path for a more intelligent, efficient, and pragmatic disease control system

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