JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

We discuss the framework of a QR-based (quick response code) coronavirus disease (COVID-19) app that integrates multiple critical features: issuance of QR code, case screening, contact tracing, automatic monitoring of social distancing, healthcare reservation and psychiatric care during the COVID-19 outbreak. The approach can smoothly assist individuals and institutions to return back to work and normal activities, which simplifies operations, minimizes the errors of manual operations and increases data credibility. The proposed tool provides a supplemental mechanism in comparison with tools of scattered case detection or discrete contact tracing. The efficacy of management is improved, and simultaneously the incurred overburden on the healthcare system is alleviated. This tool can be deployed effectively as a cross-platform app at a variety of levels. For instance, individuals can utilize it for multiple purposes: identify COVID-19 infection, track subsequent update of health status and seek healthcare when needy. In contrast, firms can use it for better non-contact health monitoring, case screening and automatic monitoring social distancing for the employees; public authorities can use it for contact tracing, facilitating containment strategies and travel control; health practitioners can provide non-contact healthcare service that reduces the risk of infection.