Exposure Notification: Benefits and Challenges of Smartphone Applications to Augment Contact Tracing
Exposure Notification: Benefits and Challenges of Smartphone Applications to Augment Contact Tracing, Report No. GAO-21-104622
If you were near a person who later tests positive for an infectious disease, an exposure notification app can let you know. These apps allow for more rapid and broader contact tracing—ideally helping to slow disease spread. About half of the U.S. states had their own COVID-19 exposure notification apps as of June 2021. A national app wasn't available. We found 5 challenges related to exposure notification apps, such as privacy concerns and a dearth of evidence showing that the apps are effective. To address challenges, we identified 4 policy options, e.g., collaborating on a national strategy for these apps.
Publication type:
project report
Publication language:
English
Publication date:
2021
Publication URL:
https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-104622.pdf
Institute:
Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics team of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) (STAA)
Country:
United States of America
Project:
Exposure Notification: Benefits and Challenges of Smartphone Applications to Augment Contact Tracing (STAA)

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