GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The Kent County Health Department has launched a digital survey tool to collect information from people who test positive for coronavirus.
The tool, called Patient Education Genius, issues a text message or email to an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 with a link to a confidential digital survey. Prior to now, the information was largely being collected by health department staff, said Brian Hartl, an epidemiologist at the health department.
Having the technology in place will help staff keep up with other coronavirus-related contract tracing work, Hartl said.
“Our staff is still full bore working on these contract tracing activities,” he said. “But it’s just now to be able to take some of that burden off our staff and respond to these increasing numbers.”
The number of coronavirus cases has climbed sharply in Kent County and the state of Michigan in recent weeks. On Monday, Kent County Health Officer Adam London told MLive that average number of new infections has increased from about 30- to 50 per-day in August and September to almost 200 cases per-day now.
In a news release, the health department said the electronic survey will be sent to people who test positive for the virus and are between the ages of 18 and 70. Those who test positive for the virus and are younger than 18 or older than 70.
An individual who receives a link to the digital survey but don’t fill it out will receive a follow-up call from the health department, the news release said.
In addition to the survey, the electronic messages also have access other information related to isolation and quarantine procedures, as well as resources to help meet basic needs, the health department said.
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