Article Category:
Research Article

Feasibility of a Mobile Application for Self and Assisted Reporting of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Self-Testing Results in Tanzania: A Pilot Study

Hajirani M. Msuya Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Ali M. Ali Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Mwifadhi Mrisho Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Omar N. Lweno Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Silas G. Temu Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Ibrahim Msuya Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Frank Kalabamu Independent Researcher, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Florence A. Milando Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Mohammed Rashid Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Ali H. Said Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Anneth M. Tumbo Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Said A. Jongo Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Kamaka R. Kassim Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Gumi Abdallah Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Hussein Mbarak Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Hassan A. Mbarak Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Hassan T. Berenge Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Prosper Mshana Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Khamis Awadh Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Selemani Mmbaga Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Tunu Ndanzi Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Gloria D. Nyaulingo Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Lathma Iddy National Bureau of Statistics, Dodoma, Tanzania;

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Shraddha Bajaria Independent Researcher, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Kekeletso Kao Foundation for Innovation and New Diagnostics, Geneva, Switzerland

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Grace W. Mwangoka Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Salim Abdulla Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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Abdallah Mkopi Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.24-0161
Volume/Issue:
Ahead of Print
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A critical impediment to efficient outbreak response is the availability of timely and complete data on cases and their linkage to care. To inform solutions to this issue, this study investigated the utility of self-testers reporting their coronavirus disease 2019 results using a mobile health platform. Our study has demonstrated that the mobile health platform is feasible; it achieved a 74.5% reporting rate, indicating a strong likelihood of data entry into the unstructured supplementary service data platform. Support from community health workers (CHWs) and healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, contributed to this success, especially among users with limited digital literacy. Specifically, 44.9% of self-test results were submitted by study participants themselves, 24.7% were submitted with the assistance of healthcare professionals, and 30.4% were submitted with the assistance of CHWs. The platform broadens the population base by increasing access and equity, allowing participation even among users without smartphones. Additionally, it integrates rapid antigen diagnostic tests with digital reporting, simplifying data processing and enabling standardized screening, real-time data capture, and effective patient follow-up. This technology also lays a foundation for pandemic preparedness in low- and middle-income countries by demonstrating the feasibility of fully integrating response loops for disease management and interventions. Future response loops could leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning, and integration with existing health surveillance systems, directly benefiting users through enhanced support.

    • Supplemental Materials (PDF 520.64 KB)

Author Notes

Financial support: This research received funding from the FIND.

Disclosures: All implementation and research procedures were conducted in compliance with the protocol, study Standard Operating procedure (SOP), International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) Guideline for Good Clinical Practice (GCP), national laws, and the guidance of the ethics committees and regulatory authority in Tanzania. Informed written consent was obtained from individuals who participated in this pilot study. The protocol was approved by the IHI-IRB under approval number Ifakara Health Institute (IHI)/Institutional Review Board (IRB)/No: 07–2022, and by the national ethics committee with reference number National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR)/HQ/R.8a/Vol. IX/3982.

Data availability: The data collection tools and generated data are available upon request by e-mailing the corresponding author (hmsuya@ihi.or.tz).

Current contact information: Hajirani M. Msuya, Ali. M. Ali, Mwifadhi Mrisho, Omar N. Lweno, Silas G. Temu, Ibrahim Msuya, Florence A. Milando, Mohammed Rashid, Ali H. Said, Anneth M. Tumbo, Said A. Jongo, Kamaka R. Kassim, Gumi Abdallah, Hussein Mbarak, Hassan A. Mbarak, Hassan T. Berenge, Prosper Mshana, Khamis Awadh, Selemani Mmbaga, Tunu Ndanzi, Gloria D. Nyaulingo, Grace W. Mwangoka, Salim Abdulla, and Abdallah Mkopi, Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, E-mails: hmsuya@ihi.or.tz, aali@ihi.or.tz, mmrisho@ihi.or.tz, olweno@ihi.or.tz, stemu@ihi.or.tz, imsuya@ihi.or.tz, fmilando@ihi.or.tz, mrashid@ihi.or.tz, ahamad@ihi.or.tz, atumbo@ihi.or.tz, sjongo@ihi.or.tz, kramadhani@ihi.or.tz, gabdallah@ihi.or.tz, hmbarak@ihi.or.tz, hassan@ihi.or.tz, tearish103@gmail.com, pmshana@ihi.or.tz, kawadh@ihi.or.tz, smmbaga@ihi.or.tz, tndanzi@ihi.or.tz, gnyaulingo@ihi.or.tz, gmwangoka@ihi.or.tz, sabdulla@ihi.or.tz, and amkopi@ihi.or.tz. Frank Kalabamu and Shraddha Bajaria, Independent Researcher, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, E-mails: kalabamufrank@gmail.com and shraddha.bajaria@gmail.com. Lathma Iddy, National Bureau of Statistics, Dodoma, Tanzania, E-mail: iddylathma@gmail.com. Kekeletso Kao, Foundation for Innovation and New Diagnostics, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland. E-mail: kekeletso.kao@finddx.org.

Address correspondence to Hajirani M. Msuya, Ifakara Health Institute, P. O. Box 78373, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. E-mail: hmsuya@ihi.or.tz
Copyright:
© American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2025
Received:
11 Mar 2024
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Accepted:
03 Dec 2024
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Published Online:
25 Feb 2025
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645
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