5 Reasons Why Apps Won’t Be Our Tech Savior for Contact Tracing
As the nation continues to search for ways to slow the spread of COVID-19 cases, many experts are relying on contact tracing, a method of identifying who an infected person may have been in contact with. Traditionally, this has been done manually by health workers, but this process is slow, cumbersome and relies entirely on a patient’s memory for accuracy. In an effort to make this process easier and more reliable, people are turning to technology, namely app-based solutions. For example, Apple & Google have partnered to create an app that will log user interactions as they get close to other smartphones in an effort to record disease transmissions, but app-based solutions present a number of vulnerabilities.
At Proxfinity, we understand how tech can shape and improve human interaction - we’ve been doing it for years with our smart matching technology. While we see how tech can light the way forward in our fight against COVID-19, apps may not be the answer. Here’s why.
Challenge #1 - Opt-In Only
Even the most sophisticated digital tracing app won’t be useful if smartphone users don’t download it. Contact tracing app solutions are voluntary, and completely dependent on individuals opting-in and participating, not to mention having their phones Bluetooth-enabled. Historically, participation hasn’t been enough to make a difference. In 2011, Cambridge developed a flu app that had a dismal 1% adoption rate. Most recently, Singapore deployed a contact tracer app in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their app adoption rate? A disheartening 12%. Simply put, if people aren’t using these apps, they fail to make a difference.
Challenge #2 - Privacy Concerns
Contact tracing apps also raise a myriad of security concerns. Skeptics fear that Apple and Google will store and leverage users’ personal data, location tracking and medical information. There is a particularly high level of sensitivity around health information already, and people will be reluctant to share it outside of the privacy of their doctor’s office - especially if it’s available on platforms vulnerable to security breaches. Washington isn’t sold either, as legislators argue this could also give tech giants even more powerful commercial insights. Outside of physical safety, information safety is also paramount - but can apps really guarantee it? It doesn’t appear so.
Challenge #3 - Not An All-Inclusive Solution
Contact tracing apps are not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Why? They exclude numerous members of society. These apps could create a ‘digital divide’ between disadvantaged groups including seniors and lower income earners who have less sophisticated phones, or no mobile device at all. This means an app-based solution excludes close to 2 billion people globally. Another misfire? While these apps are attempting to address society-at-large, they don’t offer businesses an enterprise-level option. Businesses, especially essential businesses now, need reliable tech they can deploy and manage directly to make proactive and practical decisions to protect their employees and their livelihood.
Challenge #4 - Signal Complications
WiFi and Bluetooth have inherent limitations, meaning they won’t work everywhere, all of the time, and could also pick-up a number of false readings. Firstly, apps depend on signal strength, and there are a number of places where a signal won’t be an option. What if you’re a worker in a mine? Or in a hospital that has signal dampening measures? An app isn’t a reliable option. In addition, relying on a signal alone invites a huge margin of error. Let’s say two people are less than six feet apart, but through a ground-floor window as one person passes by on a sidewalk. An app could register that as a positive interaction when in fact there was a barrier in between them. Signals - via WiFi or Bluetooth - aren’t reliable in accuracy or frequency.
Challenge #5 - Not Available Yet
The biggest challenge with app-based solutions? They aren’t available NOW. They are still weeks away from being a viable option, and many experts question if these projects will fail before they even get off the ground.
Could Smart Badges be the Answer?
Is there a better solution that businesses can implement today? We think so. Smart badges could offer an immediate and reliable alternative. Our smart badge, ResCUE, can help businesses track and manage employee interactions so they can identify potentially at-risk team members if someone is exposed to, or tests positive for, COVID-19. The best news? Employees simply put it on and their work is done. No downloads, no reliance on signal strength, it’s a simple, yet powerful, wearable badge designed to monitor the distance between employees and time spent near one another.
Today, the stakes for worker safety have never been higher. ResCUE puts preventative power into the hands of businesses so they can respond to health threats in real-time, right now.
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