A research agenda for digital proximity tracing apps

Viktor von Wyl; Sebastian Bonhoeffer; Edouard Bugnion; Milo Alan Puhan; Marcel Salathé; Theresa Stadler; Carmela Troncoso; Effy Vayena; Nicola Low

doi:10.4414/smw.2020.20324

Viewpoint

Vol. 150 No. 2930 (2020)

A research agenda for digital proximity tracing apps

Viktor von Wyl⁺⁻
Sebastian Bonhoeffer⁺⁻
Edouard Bugnion⁺⁻
Milo Alan Puhan⁺⁻
Marcel Salathé⁺⁻
Theresa Stadler⁺⁻
Carmela Troncoso⁺⁻
Effy Vayena⁺⁻
Nicola Low⁺⁻

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2020.20324
Cite this as:: Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20324
Published: 16.07.2020

References

Zastrow M. Coronavirus contact-tracing apps: can they slow the spread of COVID-19? Nature. 2020. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-01514-2
Thier J. Kann eine App die Corona-Pandemie stoppen? Mit dieser Frage beginnt eine für die Schweizer Wissenschaft aussergewöhnliche Erfolgsgeschichte. NZZ am Sonntag. 6 June 2020.
Ferretti L, Wymant C, Kendall M, Zhao L, Nurtay A, Abeler-Dörner L, et al. Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 transmission suggests epidemic control with digital contact tracing. Science. 2020;368(6491):eabb6936. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb6936
World Health Organization. Ethical considerations to guide the use of digital proximity tracking technologies for COVID-19 contact tracing: interim guidance, 28 May 2020. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020.
Goodman CS. HTA 101 Introduction to health technology assessment. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/hta101/ta10103.html. Bethesda, MD: National Library of Medicine (US); 2014.
Armstrong K. Methods in comparative effectiveness research. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30(34):4208–14. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2012.42.2659
Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing. (DP-3T). Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing - White Paper. Accessed 4 July 2020. Available from: https://github.com/DP-3T/documents/blob/master/DP3T%20White%20Paper.pdf.
Swiss National Covid-19 Science Task Force. Digital Proximity Tracing. Policy Briefs. Accessed 4 July 2020. Available from: https://ncs-tf.ch/de/policy-briefs/digital-proximity-tracing-15-may-20-en/download.
Swiss National Covid-19 Science Task Force. Contact Tracing Strategy 2020. Accessed 4 July 2020. Available from: https://ncs-tf.ch/de/policy-briefs/contact-tracing-strategy-26-april-20-en-3/download.
Wei WE, Li Z, Chiew CJ, Yong SE, Toh MP, Lee VJ. Presymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 - Singapore, January 23-March 16, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(14):411–5. doi:.https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6914e1
Swiss Federal Office of Statistics. SwissCovid App Monitoring 2020. Accessed 4 July 2020. Available from: https://www.experimental.bfs.admin.ch/expstat/de/home/innovative-methoden/swisscovid-app-monitoring.html.
Osterberg L, Blaschke T. Adherence to medication. N Engl J Med. 2005;353(5):487–97. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra050100
Singal AG, Higgins PD, Waljee AK. A primer on effectiveness and efficacy trials. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2014;5(1):e45. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1038/ctg.2013.13
Hayes RJ, Alexander ND, Bennett S, Cousens SN. Design and analysis issues in cluster-randomized trials of interventions against infectious diseases. Stat Methods Med Res. 2000;9(2):95–116. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1177/096228020000900203
Kahn R, Rid A, Smith PG, Eyal N, Lipsitch M. Choices in vaccine trial design in epidemics of emerging infections. PLoS Med. 2018;15(8):e1002632. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002632
Pearce N, Checkoway H, Kriebel D. Bias in occupational epidemiology studies. Occup Environ Med. 2007;64(8):562–8. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2006.026690
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Mobile applications in support of contact tracing for COVID-19 - A guidance for EU EEA Member States 2020. Accessed 4 July 2020. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/covid-19-mobile-applications-support-contact-tracing#no-link.
Servick K. COVID-19 contact tracing apps are coming to a phone near you. How will we know whether they work? Science [Internet]. Accessed 4 July 2020. Available from: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/05/countries-around-world-are-rolling-out-contact-tracing-apps-contain-coronavirus-how.
McLeod C, Norman R, Litton E, Saville BR, Webb S, Snelling TL. Choosing primary endpoints for clinical trials of health care interventions. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2019;16:100486. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100486
Salathé M, Althaus CL, Neher R, Stringhini S, Hodcroft E, Fellay J, et al. COVID-19 epidemic in Switzerland: on the importance of testing, contact tracing and isolation. Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150(11-12):w20225. doi:.https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2020.20225
Garnett GP, Cousens S, Hallett TB, Steketee R, Walker N. Mathematical models in the evaluation of health programmes. Lancet. 2011;378(9790):515–25. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61505-X
Hellewell J, Abbott S, Gimma A, Bosse NI, Jarvis CI, Russell TW, et al.; Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Working Group. Feasibility of controlling COVID-19 outbreaks by isolation of cases and contacts. Lancet Glob Health. 2020;8(4):e488–96. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30074-7
Gasser U, Ienca M, Scheibner J, Sleigh J, Vayena E. Digital tools against COVID-19: taxonomy, ethical challenges, and navigation aid. Lancet Digit Health. 2020. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(20)30137-0
Büchler A. Contact Tracing als Instrument der Pandemiebekämpfung. Zentrale Gesichtspunkte aus der Perspektive der Ethik (Stellungnahme Nr. 33. Bern, 6. April 2020). Bern: Nationale Ethikkommissionim Bereich der Humanmedizin NEK; 2020.
Parker MJ, Fraser C, Abeler-Dörner L, Bonsall D. Ethics of instantaneous contact tracing using mobile phone apps in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. J Med Ethics. 2020;46(7):427–31. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2020-106314
Apple / Google. Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing 2020. Available from: https://www.apple.com/covid19/contacttracing.
Swiss Federal Council. Coronavirus: Verordnung für Proximity-Tracing-App verabschiedet, Unterstützung für Kultursektor verlängert. 2020. Available from: https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/de/home/das-bag/aktuell/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-79103.html

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von Wyl V, Bonhoeffer S, Bugnion E, Puhan MA, Salathé M, Stadler T, Troncoso C, Vayena E, Low N. A research agenda for digital proximity tracing apps. Swiss Med Wkly [Internet]. 2020 Jul. 16 [cited 2024 Nov. 21];150(2930):w20324. Available from: https://smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/2838

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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[1] Zastrow M. Coronavirus contact-tracing apps: can they slow the spread of COVID-19? Nature. 2020. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-01514-2

[2] Thier J. Kann eine App die Corona-Pandemie stoppen? Mit dieser Frage beginnt eine für die Schweizer Wissenschaft aussergewöhnliche Erfolgsgeschichte. NZZ am Sonntag. 6 June 2020.

[3] Ferretti L, Wymant C, Kendall M, Zhao L, Nurtay A, Abeler-Dörner L, et al. Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 transmission suggests epidemic control with digital contact tracing. Science. 2020;368(6491):eabb6936. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb6936

[4] World Health Organization. Ethical considerations to guide the use of digital proximity tracking technologies for COVID-19 contact tracing: interim guidance, 28 May 2020. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020.

[5] Goodman CS. HTA 101 Introduction to health technology assessment. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/hta101/ta10103.html. Bethesda, MD: National Library of Medicine (US); 2014.

[6] Armstrong K. Methods in comparative effectiveness research. J Clin Oncol. 2012;30(34):4208–14. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2012.42.2659

[7] Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing. (DP-3T). Decentralized Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing - White Paper. Accessed 4 July 2020. Available from: https://github.com/DP-3T/documents/blob/master/DP3T%20White%20Paper.pdf.

[8] Swiss National Covid-19 Science Task Force. Digital Proximity Tracing. Policy Briefs. Accessed 4 July 2020. Available from: https://ncs-tf.ch/de/policy-briefs/digital-proximity-tracing-15-may-20-en/download.

[9] Swiss National Covid-19 Science Task Force. Contact Tracing Strategy 2020. Accessed 4 July 2020. Available from: https://ncs-tf.ch/de/policy-briefs/contact-tracing-strategy-26-april-20-en-3/download.

[10] Wei WE, Li Z, Chiew CJ, Yong SE, Toh MP, Lee VJ. Presymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 - Singapore, January 23-March 16, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(14):411–5. doi:.https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6914e1

[11] Swiss Federal Office of Statistics. SwissCovid App Monitoring 2020. Accessed 4 July 2020. Available from: https://www.experimental.bfs.admin.ch/expstat/de/home/innovative-methoden/swisscovid-app-monitoring.html.

[12] Osterberg L, Blaschke T. Adherence to medication. N Engl J Med. 2005;353(5):487–97. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra050100

[13] Singal AG, Higgins PD, Waljee AK. A primer on effectiveness and efficacy trials. Clin Transl Gastroenterol. 2014;5(1):e45. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1038/ctg.2013.13

[14] Hayes RJ, Alexander ND, Bennett S, Cousens SN. Design and analysis issues in cluster-randomized trials of interventions against infectious diseases. Stat Methods Med Res. 2000;9(2):95–116. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1177/096228020000900203

[15] Kahn R, Rid A, Smith PG, Eyal N, Lipsitch M. Choices in vaccine trial design in epidemics of emerging infections. PLoS Med. 2018;15(8):e1002632. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002632

[16] Pearce N, Checkoway H, Kriebel D. Bias in occupational epidemiology studies. Occup Environ Med. 2007;64(8):562–8. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2006.026690

[17] European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Mobile applications in support of contact tracing for COVID-19 - A guidance for EU EEA Member States 2020. Accessed 4 July 2020. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/covid-19-mobile-applications-support-contact-tracing#no-link.

[18] Servick K. COVID-19 contact tracing apps are coming to a phone near you. How will we know whether they work? Science [Internet]. Accessed 4 July 2020. Available from: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/05/countries-around-world-are-rolling-out-contact-tracing-apps-contain-coronavirus-how.

[19] McLeod C, Norman R, Litton E, Saville BR, Webb S, Snelling TL. Choosing primary endpoints for clinical trials of health care interventions. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2019;16:100486. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100486

[20] Salathé M, Althaus CL, Neher R, Stringhini S, Hodcroft E, Fellay J, et al. COVID-19 epidemic in Switzerland: on the importance of testing, contact tracing and isolation. Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150(11-12):w20225. doi:.https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2020.20225

[21] Garnett GP, Cousens S, Hallett TB, Steketee R, Walker N. Mathematical models in the evaluation of health programmes. Lancet. 2011;378(9790):515–25. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61505-X

[22] Hellewell J, Abbott S, Gimma A, Bosse NI, Jarvis CI, Russell TW, et al.; Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Working Group. Feasibility of controlling COVID-19 outbreaks by isolation of cases and contacts. Lancet Glob Health. 2020;8(4):e488–96. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30074-7

[23] Gasser U, Ienca M, Scheibner J, Sleigh J, Vayena E. Digital tools against COVID-19: taxonomy, ethical challenges, and navigation aid. Lancet Digit Health. 2020. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(20)30137-0

[24] Büchler A. Contact Tracing als Instrument der Pandemiebekämpfung. Zentrale Gesichtspunkte aus der Perspektive der Ethik (Stellungnahme Nr. 33. Bern, 6. April 2020). Bern: Nationale Ethikkommissionim Bereich der Humanmedizin NEK; 2020.

[25] Parker MJ, Fraser C, Abeler-Dörner L, Bonsall D. Ethics of instantaneous contact tracing using mobile phone apps in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. J Med Ethics. 2020;46(7):427–31. doi:.https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2020-106314

[26] Apple / Google. Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing 2020. Available from: https://www.apple.com/covid19/contacttracing.

[27] Swiss Federal Council. Coronavirus: Verordnung für Proximity-Tracing-App verabschiedet, Unterstützung für Kultursektor verlängert. 2020. Available from: https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/de/home/das-bag/aktuell/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-79103.html