Personal Emergency Response Research Articles

Factors Associated with Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Subgroup Analysis from a Telemergency Service.

According to the number of falls, fallers can be single (only one fall) or recurrent (two or more falls), with different risk profiles for loss of independence and frailty. The presence of risk factors in community-dwelling single- and recurrent fallers using a wearable fall-detection device, such as the Personal Emergency Response System (PERS), as part of a telemergency service, is still unknown. This article evaluates how using a PERS, within a telemergency service, helps identify risk profiles and assessment of any differences between non-fallers and fallers in community-dwelling older adults. A sub-group analysis was performed, dividing users into non-fallers (n = 226) and fallers (≥1 fall; n = 89); single-fallers (n = 66) and recurrent fallers (n = 23). Median age was higher in fallers (87.7 years vs. 86), whereas recurrent fallers were less independent, had fewer comorbidities, and had more low-extremity disabilities. The use of the PERS for medical problems (Adjusted OR = 0.31), excluding falls, support calls (Adjusted OR = 0.26), and service demands (Adjusted OR = 0.30), was significantly associated with a fall risk reduction. The findings suggest that the integration within a telemergency service may impact on fall-risk factors.

ANGEL Safety: Development of an Emergency Support Website with Guardian Notification System

In an increasingly interconnected world, ensuring personal safety remains a paramount concern. This research paper explores the design and implementation of a website dedicated to safety purposes, integrating online chatting and SOS message generation functionalities. The website offers two distinct login options: one for the individual seeking safety measures (self), and another for their designated guardian. When an SOS message is triggered, it is promptly sent as a notification to the guardian’s mobile device, providing immediate assistance. Additionally, the guardian has the capability to track the live location of the individual through an interactive map feature. In instances where the individual’s location services are disabled, the last known active location is relayed to the guardian along with a notification. Through a comprehensive examination of the website’s architecture, features, and implementation, this research aims to provide insights into leveraging digital platforms for enhancing personal safety and emergency response mechanisms

Ambulance deployment without transport: a retrospective difference analysis for the description of emergency interventions without patient transport in Bavaria

BackgroundNot all patients who call the ambulance service are subsequently transported to hospital. In 2018, a quarter of deployments of an emergency ambulance in Bavaria were not followed by patient transport. This study describes factors that influence patient transport rates.MethodThis is a retrospective cross-sectional study based on data from all Integrated Dispatch Centres of the Free State of Bavaria in 2018. Included were ambulance deployments without emergency physician involvement, which were subdivided into ambulance deployments without transport and ambulance deployments with transport. The proportion of transported patients were determined for the primary reasons for deployment and for the different community types. On-scene time was compared for calls with and without patient transport. Differences were tested for statistical significance using Chi2 tests and the odds ratio was calculated to determine differences between groups.ResultsOf 510,145 deployments, 147,621 (28.9%) could be classified as ambulance deployments without transport and 362,524 (71.1%) as ambulance deployments with transport.The lowest proportion of patients transported was found for activations where the fire brigade was involved (“fire alarm system” 0.6%, “fire with emergency medical services” 5.4%) and “personal emergency response system active alarm” (18.6%). The highest transport rates were observed for emergencies involving “childbirth/delivery” (96.9%) and “trauma” (83.2%). A lower proportion of patients is transported in large cities as compared to smaller cities or rural communities; in large cities, the odds ratio for emergencies without transport is 2.02 [95% confidence interval 1.98–2.06] referenced to rural communites. The median on-scene time for emergencies without transport was 20.8 min (n = 141,052) as compared to 16.5 min for emergencies with transport (n = 362,524). The shortest on-scene times for emergencies without transport were identified for activations related to “fire alarm system” (9.0 min) and “personal emergency response system active alarm” (10.6 min).ConclusionThis study indicates that the proportion of patients transported depends on the reason for deployment and whether the emergency location is urban or rural. Particularly low transport rates are found if an ambulance was dispatched in connection with a fire department operation or a personal emergency medical alert button was activated. The on-scene-time of the rescue vehicle is increased for deployments without transport. The study could not provide a rationale for this and further research is needed.Trial registration This paper is part of the study “Rettungswageneinsatz ohne Transport” [“Ambulance deployment without transport”] (RoT), which was registered in the German Register of Clinical Studies under the number DRKS00017758.

Evaluation of a Telemergency Service for Older People Living at Home: A Cross-Sectional Study

Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERSs) are fall-detection devices supporting users in any situation. No previous studies have investigated the differences in events and the use of PERS between users financially supported by public authorities (public users) and those who privately afford the PERS cost (private users). More than two years of data collected by the Telemergency Operation Centre (TOC) were downloaded. All users who sent at least one real alert to request support were included. No differences were found for falls (37, 16.7% vs. 95, 13.4%) and medical problems (46, 20.7% vs. 122, 17.2%). The dispatch of an ambulance was necessary for all medical problems, while for falls, this was only in half of cases. Public users significantly asked more for service demand, while private users asked for support calls. The TOC staff directly managed most of the service demands (398, 97.3%) and support calls. PERS could be a valid instrument for promoting independent living and helping manage chronic conditions in older adults. The results suggest that PERSs might improve in-home care services, facilitating the connection to in-home services.

Determinants of nurses’ readiness for disaster response: A cross-sectional study

Reducing the impacts of disasters is imperative in these times when disasters continually threaten people's lives. Given that the readiness for disaster response of nurses are essential in mitigating damage, however, studies on the determinants of nurses' readiness for disaster response remain inconclusive and require further research, especially with various populations. This study therefore aimed to investigate factors associated with readiness for disaster response among Taiwanese hospital nurses. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 365 eligible and registered nurses at a medical centre in northern Taiwan. The Readiness for Disaster Responses Scale including four subscales: personal preparedness, self-protection, emergency response, and clinical management were used for assessment. Analyses were performed using multiple linear regression models. Our study results showed that the length of nursing work was positively associated with nurses' readiness for disaster responses (β = 0.28, p < .001). Nurses with a master's degree and working in intensive care units or emergency rooms had higher readiness for disaster responses (β = 0.13, p = .032; β = 0.14, p = .024) than those with a bachelor's degree and working in other units/specialties (i.e., outpatient department, operating rooms, etc.). Furthermore, nurses with previous disaster training were associated with greater readiness for disaster responses (β = 0.24, p < .001). This study findings indicate that the identified determinants of hospital nurses' readiness for disaster responses can be taken into consideration in the future recruiting of nurses for deployment to disaster response assistance and the designing of disaster training programmes specifically for nurses.

Thermoregulation in response to exercising at a moderate metabolic rate when wearing personal protective and emergency response equipment

Thermoregulation in response to exercising at a moderate metabolic rate when wearing personal protective and emergency response equipment

Personal emergency response systems and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the United States

AbstractPersonal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) are electronic medical alert devices that help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) receive assistance in emergencies. According to research on older adults, PERS improve health outcomes, provide people with a sense of security and peace of mind, promote independence, and prevent institutionalization. The aim of this study was to examine if, and how, states provided PERS to people with IDD in their Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs in fiscal year (FY) 2021. To do so, we qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed HCBS data on participant services and cost‐neutrality demonstrations to examine thematic trends in how and why states offered PERS, as well as total unduplicated participants, total projected spending, projected spending per participant, reimbursement rates, and annual service provision per participant. In FY 2021, 42 waivers (39.25%) from 25 states and the District of Columbia (57.78%) projected spending $9.87 million on PERS services for 9538 people with IDD. PERS services included the installation of devices (77.78%), monthly service fees (73.61%), equipment maintenance (44.44%), and training of people with IDD or their caregivers about the equipment (41.67%). States said they provided PERS in order to prevent institutionalization (23.61%), promote independence (16.67%), and maximize mobility (11.11%). Given the potential benefits for independent living, independence, and reducing costs, as well as the disparities unearthed in this study, we believe states should expand how they provide PERS to people with IDD in HCBS and do so in a more consistent manner. This may be especially beneficial as PERS can be cost‐prohibitive for many people with IDD, who frequently live in poverty, and HCBS reimbursement for technology is the top barrier to implementing technology according to IDD providers.

ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES OF LABORATORY PERSONNEL TOWARDS CHEMICAL SAFETY IN UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA CAMPUSES, MALAYSIA

Inadequate knowledge, negative attitudes and unsafe practices while handling chemicals can contribute to incidents such as fires, accidents, injuries and fatalities at academic institutions and laboratories. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of lab personnel towards chemical safety at an academic institution. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 123 laboratory personnel at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Malaysia using purposive sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed by email to collect data which was analysed using descriptive statistics, a Spearman Correlation Coefficient measures and a Chi-Squared test. In general, the respondents’ knowledge and attitudes towards chemical safety were high with median scores ranging between 79.2% and 88.9%, respectively. However, their practices were moderate, with a mean score of 74. 1%. There was a weak correlations between attitudes and the level of knowledge (rs = 0.38, p &lt; 0.05) and practices (rs = 0.19, p &lt; 0.05). There were significant associations between department, campus and training status (χ2 value, p &lt; 0.05) with knowledge and practice levels. Although the overall scores were satisfactory, some aspects still need improvement, especially with regard to the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals symbols, personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance and emergency response procedures. The practice of eating and drinking in laboratories by lab personnel is an issue that also requires attention.

Handheld portable neutron gamma discrimination spectrometer for environmental detection

A compact and integrated neutron-gamma discrimination spectrometer that could be utilized for personal dosimetry and emergency response is urgently required. In this study, based on a CLYC scintillator coupled to silicon photomultiplier(SiPM) arrays, we designed a stand-alone, hand-held neutron-gamma discrimination spectrometer. After the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) digitizes the analog signal from the detector, the data is transmitted to a FPGA processor for online real-time processing, and then transmitted to a microcontroller through the serial peripheral interface(SPI) protocol, and the current detection result is displayed in real-time on the touch screen. By using the pulse signal discrimination(PSD) method, the spectrometer can simultaneously measure the spectrum of neutron and gamma events, with a resolution of 8.8% (at 1274.5 keV) and excellent linearity. The figure of merit (FOM) is 2.32 with optimized PSD parameters. The experimental results show that the spectrometer integrates the upper computer and detector, with real-time performance, portability and excellent neutron-gamma resolution. Online operation is realized through the touch screen, which greatly facilitates the real-time detection of radiation in the field environment.

Congestive Heart Failure Management at Home Use of Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS).

Congestive Heart Failure Management at Home Use of Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS).

Unterschiede zwischen Rettungsdiensteinsätzen mit und ohne Patiententransport

ZusammenfassungHintergrundDie Inanspruchnahme des Rettungsdienstes in Bayern steigt seit Jahren an. Wir haben die Hypothese aufgestellt, dass Notfalleinsätze ohne Patiententransport (RoT) häufig Ausdruck einer unzureichenden Alarmierungsplanung sind. Das Ziel der Studie war es, für solche Einsätze die Unterschiede zwischen den Integrierten Leitstellen (ILS) in Bezug auf die Merkmale Transportquoten und Spannweiten nach Einsatzgrund sowie Uhrzeiten und Wochentage zu beschreiben.MethodeRetrospektive Querschnittstudie der Daten aller 26 ILS des Freistaats Bayern im Jahr 2018. Transportquoten für wesentliche Einsatzgründe bei Notfalleinsätzen ohne Notarztbeteiligung wurden in Abhängigkeit von Leitstellenbereich, Tageszeit und Wochentag vergleichend analysiert. Einsätze wurden kategorisiert als RoT oder TP (Rettungswageneinsatz mit Transport).ErgebnisseVon 510.145 Einsätzen waren 147.621 (28,9 %) RoT und 362.524 (71,1 %) TP. Für alle untersuchten Einsatzgründe zeigten sich deutliche regionale Unterschiede in der Transportquote. Die höchste Spannweite unter den ILS ergab sich für die Einsatzgründe „Brandmeldeanlage“ (16,8 Prozentpunkte), „Hausnotruf aktiver Alarm“ (16,1) sowie „Herz/Kreislauf“ (14,6). In den Morgenstunden sinkt das Einsatzaufkommen bei steigenden TP. Die wenigsten RoT fanden zwischen 8 und 10 Uhr statt. Die Analyse der Wochentage ergab kleine Unterschiede in der Häufigkeit von RoT an Montagen sowie an Wochenenden ohne planerische Relevanz.SchlussfolgerungWir haben deutliche Unterschiede in den Spannweiten festgestellt. Dies könnte auf örtlich unterschiedliche Alarmierungsplanungsvorgaben oder Dispositionsentscheidungen der ILS hindeuten. Die Leitstellen weisen hier wahrscheinlich ein erhebliches Potenzial zur Steuerung und Verbesserung der Ressourcenallokation auf.

When the Physician Becomes the Caregiver: A Review for Physicians Caring for Their Elder Relatives.

When the Physician Becomes the Caregiver: A Review for Physicians Caring for Their Elder Relatives.

Predictive analytics and tailored interventions improve clinical outcomes in older adults: a randomized controlled trial

This study explored the potential to improve clinical outcomes in patients at risk of moving to the top segment of the cost acuity pyramid. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of a Stepped-Care approach (predictive analytics + tailored nurse-driven interventions) on healthcare utilization among 370 older adult patients enrolled in a homecare management program and using a Personal Emergency Response System. The Control group (CG) received care as usual, while the Intervention group (IG) received Stepped-Care during a 180-day intervention period. The primary outcome, decrease in emergency encounters, was not statistically significant (15%, p = 0.291). However, compared to the CG, the IG had significant reductions in total 90-day readmissions (68%, p = 0.007), patients with 90-day readmissions (76%, p = 0.011), total 180-day readmissions (53%, p = 0.020), and EMS encounters (49%, p = 0.006). Predictive analytics combined with tailored interventions could potentially improve clinical outcomes in older adults, supporting population health management in home or community settings.

A randomized trial examining the effect of predictive analytics and tailored interventions on the cost of care

This two-arm randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of a Stepped-Care intervention (predictive analytics combined with tailored interventions) on the healthcare costs of older adults using a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS). A total of 370 patients aged 65 and over with healthcare costs in the middle segment of the cost pyramid for the fiscal year prior to their enrollment were enrolled for the study. During a 180-day intervention period, control group (CG) received standard care, while intervention group (IG) received the Stepped-Care intervention. The IG had 31% lower annualized inpatient cost per patient compared with the CG (3.7 K, $8.1 K vs. $11.8 K, p = 0.02). Both groups had similar annualized outpatient costs per patient ($6.1 K vs. $5.8 K, p = 0.10). The annualized total cost reduction per patient in the IG vs. CG was 20% (3.5 K, $17.7 K vs. $14.2 K, p = 0.04). Predictive analytics coupled with tailored interventions has great potential to reduce healthcare costs in older adults, thereby supporting population health management in home or community settings.

Exploring patterns of personal alarm system use and impacts on outcomes.

To describe the patterns of personal emergency response systems (PERS) use in a statewide cohort of older Australians. PERS data from clients enrolled in the Personal Alarm Victoria program between January 2014 and June 2017 were analysed. Alarm activation reasons were extracted, and a medical record audit was performed for a sub-cohort of patients admitted to a local hospital following an alarm event. Descriptive statistics were used. There were 42,180 clients enrolled during the study (mean age 80years, 80% female, 93% living alone). An ambulance attended 44% of the fall-related events and 81% of events coded as unwell. Activation reasons were distributed equally between a fall and feeling unwell, and a repeating pattern of activation reasons was observed. In our sub-cohort (n=92), the majority of admissions (86%) followed an alarm activation coded as unwell. We demonstrated recurring patterns associated with the reasons for alarm use.

Predictive Modeling of 30-Day Emergency Hospital Transport of German Patients Using a Personal Emergency Response: Retrospective Study and Comparison with the United States.

BackgroundPredictive analytics based on data from remote monitoring of elderly via a personal emergency response system (PERS) in the United States can identify subscribers at high risk for emergency hospital transport. These risk predictions can subsequently be used to proactively target interventions and prevent avoidable, costly health care use. It is, however, unknown if PERS-based risk prediction with targeted interventions could also be applied in the German health care setting.ObjectiveThe objectives were to develop and validate a predictive model of 30-day emergency hospital transport based on data from a German PERS provider and compare the model with our previously published predictive model developed on data from a US PERS provider.MethodsRetrospective data of 5805 subscribers to a German PERS service were used to develop and validate an extreme gradient boosting predictive model of 30-day hospital transport, including predictors derived from subscriber demographics, self-reported medical conditions, and a 2-year history of case data. Models were trained on 80% (4644/5805) of the data, and performance was evaluated on an independent test set of 20% (1161/5805). Results were compared with our previously published prediction model developed on a data set of PERS users in the United States.ResultsGerman PERS subscribers were on average aged 83.6 years, with 64.0% (743/1161) females, with 65.4% (759/1161) reported 3 or more chronic conditions. A total of 1.4% (350/24,847) of subscribers had one or more emergency transports in 30 days in the test set, which was significantly lower compared with the US data set (2455/109,966, 2.2%). Performance of the predictive model of emergency hospital transport, as evaluated by area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC), was 0.749 (95% CI 0.721-0.777), which was similar to the US prediction model (AUC=0.778 [95% CI 0.769-0.788]). The top 1% (12/1161) of predicted high-risk patients were 10.7 times more likely to experience an emergency hospital transport in 30 days than the overall German PERS population. This lift was comparable to a model lift of 11.9 obtained by the US predictive model.ConclusionsDespite differences in emergency care use, PERS-based collected subscriber data can be used to predict use outcomes in different international settings. These predictive analytic tools can be used by health care organizations to extend population health management into the home by identifying and delivering timelier targeted interventions to high-risk patients. This could lead to overall improved patient experience, higher quality of care, and more efficient resource use.

Evaluating the Impact of a Risk Assessment System With Tailored Interventions in Germany: Protocol for a Prospective Study With Matched Controls.

BackgroundWith a worldwide increase in the elderly population, and an associated increase in health care utilization and costs, preventing avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalizations is becoming a global priority. A personal emergency response system (PERS), consisting of an alarm button and a means to establish a live connection to a response center, can help the elderly live at home longer independently. Individual risk assessment through predictive modeling can help indicate what PERS subscribers are at elevated risk of hospital transport so that early intervention becomes possible.ObjectiveThe aim is to evaluate whether the combination of risk scores determined through predictive modeling and targeted interventions offered by a case manager can result in a reduction of hospital admissions and health care costs for a population of German PERS subscribers. The primary outcome of the study is the difference between the number of hospitalizations in the intervention and matched control groups.MethodsAs part of the Sicher Zuhause program, an intervention group of 500 PERS subscribers will be tracked for 8 months. During this period, risk scores will be determined daily by a predictive model of hospital transport, and at-risk participants may receive phone calls from a case manager who assesses the health status of the participant and recommends interventions. The health care utilization of the intervention group will be compared to a group of matched controls, retrospectively drawn from a population of PERS subscribers who receive no interventions.ResultsDifferences in health care utilization and costs between the intervention group and the matched controls will be determined based on reimbursement records. In addition, qualitative data will be collected on the participants’ satisfaction with the Sicher Zuhause program and utilization of the interventions offered as part of the program.ConclusionsThe study evaluation will offer insight into whether a combination of predictive analytics and case manager-driven interventions can help in avoiding hospital admissions and health care costs for PERS subscribers in Germany living at home independently. In the future, this may lead to improved quality of life and reduced medical costs for the population of the study.Trial RegistrationDeutsches Register Klinischer Studien (DRKS), DRKS00017328; https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00017328International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/17584

Quantifying the economic benefit of the personal alarm and emergency response system in Australia: a cost analysis of the reduction in ambulance attendances.

Objectives MePACS is a triage and support-based personal alarm emergency response system designed to assist older and/or disabled people to live safely in their homes. The aim of this study was to estimate avoidable ambulance attendances and transports to emergency departments and quantify the cost savings attributed to MePACS compared with a comparison cohort without a personal alarm system. Methods Alarm activation and demographic data for clients registered in the program from June 2016 to May 2017 and funded through the Personal Alert Victoria program were extracted from routinely collected MePACS electronic data. Information on alarm use, event outcomes and ambulance attendances was extracted. Using published Ambulance Victoria data, a comparison cohort was simulated to model the experience of a similar cohort without access to a personal alarm system who experienced a health emergency and called Australia's emergency call service number. The incremental management cost, incorporating the operation cost of MePACS and ambulance fees, was calculated to compare the potential cost savings of MePACS with the comparison cohort. Results Among 18421 eligible clients, there were 7856 emergency alarm activations due to falls or medical events from 4275 clients (79.5% female; 81.1% aged >75 years; 91.8% living alone). MePACS resulted in approximately one-third of ambulance attendances being avoided. Potential annual cost savings of A$1414732.8 (A$76.8 per person per year; 95% confidence interval A$60.0-93.6 per person per year; P<0.001) were attributed to avoidable ambulance utilisations for 18421 MePACS clients. Conclusion Triage-based personal alarm systems, such as MePACS, provide a cost-saving strategy because of fewer ambulance attendances and transports to emergency departments for older and/or disabled people living in the community. What is known about the topic? Personal alarm systems, either a safety alarm, a panic alarm or a medical alarm, have been widely used to support older people and at-risk groups to live independently. The health effects of personal alarm systems are well documented. There is limited information published on the potential economic benefits of these interventions. What does this paper add? We identified the potential economic benefits associated with the MePACS triage-based personal alarm system operating within Victoria, Australia. Personal alarm systems that are triage based and use the support of family members and carers may provide financial benefits not provided by alarm systems that do not provide this type of service. What are the implications for practitioners? The management of older people and at-risk groups living alone is a health care priority. Alternative models to calling emergency services, such as triage-based personal emergency response systems, may provide a low-cost, effective approach.

Discrepancies between Expected and Actual Implementation: The Process Evaluation of PERS Integration in Nursing Homes.

Recent studies prove that when implementing new technology technology-driven and one-size-fits-all approaches are problematic. This study focuses on the process of implementing personal emergency response system (PERS) at nursing homes. The aim is to understand why the implementation of PERS has not met initial expectations. Multiple methods were used in two Swedish nursing homes, including document analysis, questionnaires (n = 42), participant observation (67 h), and individual interviews (n = 12). A logic model was used to ascertain the discrepancies that emerged between expected and actual implementation, and the domestication theory was used to discuss the underlying meanings of the discrepancies. The discrepancies primarily focused on staff competence, system readiness, work routines, and implementation duration. Corresponding reasons were largely relevant to management issues regarding training, the procurement systems, individual and collective responsibilities as well as invisible work. The uptake of technology in daily practice is far more nuanced than a technology implementation plan might imply. We point out the importance of preparing for implementation, adjusting to new practices, and leaving space and time for facilitating implementation. The findings will be of use to implementers, service providers, and organizational managers to evaluate various measures in the implementation process, enabling them to perform technology implementation faster and more efficiently.

Evaluation of the emergency response strategies and measures on the epidemic of COVID-19 in Shenzhen, China

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the strategies on COVID-19 outbreak control in Shenzhen, and to clarify the feasibility of these strategies in metropolitans that have high population density and strong mobility. Methods: The epidemic feature of COVID-19 was described by different phases and was used to observe the effectiveness of intervention. Hierarchical spot map was drawn to clarify the distribution and transmission risk of infection sources at different time points. The Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Asymptomatic-Recovered model was established to estimate case numbers without intervention and compare with the actual number of cases to determine the effect of intervention. The positive rate of the nucleic acid test was used to reflect the risk of human exposure. A survey on COVID-19 related knowledge, attitude and behaviors were used to estimate the abilities of personal protection and emergency response. Results: The epidemic of COVID-19 in Shenzhen experienced the rising, plateau and decline stage. The case number increased rapidly at the beginning, with short duration of peak period. Although the epidemic curve showed human-to-human transmission, the "trailing" was not obvious. From the spot map, during the intervention period, the source of infection was widely distributed. More cases and higher transmission risk were observed in areas with higher population density. After the effective intervention measures, both infection sources and the risk of transmission decreased. After compared with the estimated case numbers without intervention, actual number proved the COVID-19 control strategies were effective. The positive rate of nucleic acid test for high risk populations decreased and no new cases reported since February 16. Shenzhen citizens had high knowledge, attitude and behavior level, and high protection ability and emergency response. Conclusions: Although the response initiated by the health administration department played a key role at the early stage of the epidemic, it was not enough to contain the outbreak of COVID-19. The first-level emergency response initiated by provincial and municipal government was effective and ensured the start of work resumption after the Spring Festival. Metropolitans like Shenzhen can also achieve the goals of strategies and measures for containment and mitigation of COVID-19.