JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

In the wake of COVID-19 there has been a large increase of data being generated globally. Basic elements of data, such as incidence, prevalence, and mortality, have already been aggregated to form various dashboard illustrating the spread of COVID-19 across the world. However, it is important to consider not only the rate and trajectory of the virus’s proliferation, but how various countries have responded to the outbreak and the effects of their responses. The SMAART RAPID Tracker integrates information about spread and fatality rates of the disease, but displays them alongside the policies countries have taken in response to the disease. The RAPID Tracker provides comprehensible data visualizations to empower any users to understand the scope of the disease and the different strategies countries are taking. These visualizations are further utilized to highlight insights on a country or state level and allow users to directly compare countries or states. Finally, the RAPID Tracker provides a list of reliable and accurate resources for users to learn more about COVID-19 and how to protect themselves. Policy makers and government agencies can utilize the dashboard as a decision-aid tool to assess the impact of the policies on COVID-19 outbreak to make evidence-based decisions. Especially during a time when testing is scarce and vaccines and treatments are unavailable, it is crucial that policymakers and citizens of the world have access to accurate and meaningful information to inform their behaviors.