Including the Public in Public eHealth: The Need for Community Participation in the Development of State-Sponsored COVID-19-Related Mobile Apps

The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed health care systems worldwide, particularly in underresourced communities of color with a high prevalence of pre-existing health conditions. Many state governments and health care entities responded by increasing their capacity for telemedicine and disease tracking and creating mobile apps for dissemination of medical information. Our experiences with state-sponsored apps suggest that because many of these eHealth tools did not include community participation, they inadvertently contributed to widening digital health disparities. We propose that, as eHealth tools continue to expand as a form of health care, more attention needs to be given to their equitable distribution, accessibility, and usage. In this viewpoint collaboratively written by a minority-serving community-based organization and an eHealth academic research team, we present our experience participating in a community advisory board working on the dissemination of the COVID Alert NY mobile app to illustrate the importance of public participation in app development. We also provide practical recommendations on how to involve community representatives in the app development process. We propose that transparency and community involvement in the process of app development ultimately increases buy-in, trust, and usage of digital technology in communities where they are needed most.

Automated summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed healthcare systems globally, especially in underprivileged communities of color with existing health conditions. The response of many state governments and healthcare entities includes increasing telemedicine capacity, disease tracking, and developing mobile apps for medical information dissemination. However, the lack of community participation in the development of these eHealth tools has inadvertently exacerbated digital health disparities. Our viewpoint highlights the importance of public involvement in app development and proposes practical recommendations to ensure transparency and community engagement, ultimately enhancing acceptance, trust, and utilization of digital technology in communities most in need.