Outcomes of a Community Engagement and Information Gathering Program to Support Telephone-Based COVID-19 Contact Tracing: Descriptive Analysis
BackgroundContact tracing is an important public health tool for curbing the spread of infectious diseases. Effective and efficient contact tracing involves the rapid identification of individuals with infection and their exposed contacts and ensuring their isolation or quara...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JMIR Publications
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | JMIR Public Health and Surveillance |
| Online Access: | https://publichealth.jmir.org/2022/11/e40977 |
| _version_ | 1797734643152191488 |
|---|---|
| author | Chi-Chi N Udeagu Masha Pitiranggon Kavita Misra Jamie Huang Thomas Terilli Yasmin Ramos Martha Alexander Christine Kim David Lee Kathleen Blaney Chris Keeley Theodore Long Neil M Vora |
| author_facet | Chi-Chi N Udeagu Masha Pitiranggon Kavita Misra Jamie Huang Thomas Terilli Yasmin Ramos Martha Alexander Christine Kim David Lee Kathleen Blaney Chris Keeley Theodore Long Neil M Vora |
| author_sort | Chi-Chi N Udeagu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundContact tracing is an important public health tool for curbing the spread of infectious diseases. Effective and efficient contact tracing involves the rapid identification of individuals with infection and their exposed contacts and ensuring their isolation or quarantine, respectively. Manual contact tracing via telephone call and digital proximity app technology have been key strategies in mitigating the spread of COVID-19. However, many people are not reached for COVID-19 contact tracing due to missing telephone numbers or nonresponse to telephone calls. The New York City COVID-19 Trace program augmented the efforts of telephone-based contact tracers with information gatherers (IGs) to search and obtain telephone numbers or residential addresses, and community engagement specialists (CESs) made home visits to individuals that were not contacted via telephone calls.
ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the contribution of information gathering and home visits to the yields of COVID-19 contact tracing in New York City.
MethodsIGs looked for phone numbers or addresses when records were missing phone numbers to locate case-patients or contacts. CESs made home visits to case-patients and contacts with no phone numbers or those who were not reached by telephone-based tracers. Contact tracing management software was used to triage and queue assignments for the telephone-based tracers, IGs, and CESs. We measured the outcomes of contact tracing–related tasks performed by the IGs and CESs from July 2020 to June 2021.
ResultsOf 659,484 cases and 861,566 contact records in the Trace system, 28% (185,485) of cases and 35% (303,550) of contacts were referred to IGs. IGs obtained new phone numbers for 33% (61,804) of case-patients and 11% (31,951) of contacts; 50% (31,019) of the case-patients and 46% (14,604) of the contacts with new phone numbers completed interviews; 25% (167,815) of case-patients and 8% (72,437) of contacts were referred to CESs. CESs attempted 80% (132,781) of case and 69% (49,846) of contact investigations, of which 47% (62,733) and 50% (25,015) respectively, completed interviews. An additional 12,192 contacts were identified following IG investigations and 13,507 following CES interventions.
ConclusionsGathering new or missing locating information and making home visits increased the number of case-patients and contacts interviewed for contact tracing and resulted in additional contacts. When possible, contact tracing programs should add information gathering and home visiting strategies to increase COVID-19 contact tracing coverage and yields as well as promote equity in the delivery of this public health intervention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:46:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-584232547ba646bdbcf3e23369dcc6ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2369-2960 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:46:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Public Health and Surveillance |
| spelling | doaj.art-584232547ba646bdbcf3e23369dcc6ed2023-08-28T23:17:13ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Public Health and Surveillance2369-29602022-11-01811e4097710.2196/40977Outcomes of a Community Engagement and Information Gathering Program to Support Telephone-Based COVID-19 Contact Tracing: Descriptive AnalysisChi-Chi N Udeaguhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8929-4540Masha Pitiranggonhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3434-1607Kavita Misrahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0941-9436Jamie Huanghttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0524-2749Thomas Terillihttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7187-6611Yasmin Ramoshttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1725-8900Martha Alexanderhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1658-2485Christine Kimhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6409-4742David Leehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6968-168XKathleen Blaneyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5890-8412Chris Keeleyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9583-5670Theodore Longhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9334-2506Neil M Vorahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4989-3108 BackgroundContact tracing is an important public health tool for curbing the spread of infectious diseases. Effective and efficient contact tracing involves the rapid identification of individuals with infection and their exposed contacts and ensuring their isolation or quarantine, respectively. Manual contact tracing via telephone call and digital proximity app technology have been key strategies in mitigating the spread of COVID-19. However, many people are not reached for COVID-19 contact tracing due to missing telephone numbers or nonresponse to telephone calls. The New York City COVID-19 Trace program augmented the efforts of telephone-based contact tracers with information gatherers (IGs) to search and obtain telephone numbers or residential addresses, and community engagement specialists (CESs) made home visits to individuals that were not contacted via telephone calls. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the contribution of information gathering and home visits to the yields of COVID-19 contact tracing in New York City. MethodsIGs looked for phone numbers or addresses when records were missing phone numbers to locate case-patients or contacts. CESs made home visits to case-patients and contacts with no phone numbers or those who were not reached by telephone-based tracers. Contact tracing management software was used to triage and queue assignments for the telephone-based tracers, IGs, and CESs. We measured the outcomes of contact tracing–related tasks performed by the IGs and CESs from July 2020 to June 2021. ResultsOf 659,484 cases and 861,566 contact records in the Trace system, 28% (185,485) of cases and 35% (303,550) of contacts were referred to IGs. IGs obtained new phone numbers for 33% (61,804) of case-patients and 11% (31,951) of contacts; 50% (31,019) of the case-patients and 46% (14,604) of the contacts with new phone numbers completed interviews; 25% (167,815) of case-patients and 8% (72,437) of contacts were referred to CESs. CESs attempted 80% (132,781) of case and 69% (49,846) of contact investigations, of which 47% (62,733) and 50% (25,015) respectively, completed interviews. An additional 12,192 contacts were identified following IG investigations and 13,507 following CES interventions. ConclusionsGathering new or missing locating information and making home visits increased the number of case-patients and contacts interviewed for contact tracing and resulted in additional contacts. When possible, contact tracing programs should add information gathering and home visiting strategies to increase COVID-19 contact tracing coverage and yields as well as promote equity in the delivery of this public health intervention.https://publichealth.jmir.org/2022/11/e40977 |
| spellingShingle | Chi-Chi N Udeagu Masha Pitiranggon Kavita Misra Jamie Huang Thomas Terilli Yasmin Ramos Martha Alexander Christine Kim David Lee Kathleen Blaney Chris Keeley Theodore Long Neil M Vora Outcomes of a Community Engagement and Information Gathering Program to Support Telephone-Based COVID-19 Contact Tracing: Descriptive Analysis JMIR Public Health and Surveillance |
| title | Outcomes of a Community Engagement and Information Gathering Program to Support Telephone-Based COVID-19 Contact Tracing: Descriptive Analysis |
| title_full | Outcomes of a Community Engagement and Information Gathering Program to Support Telephone-Based COVID-19 Contact Tracing: Descriptive Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Outcomes of a Community Engagement and Information Gathering Program to Support Telephone-Based COVID-19 Contact Tracing: Descriptive Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Outcomes of a Community Engagement and Information Gathering Program to Support Telephone-Based COVID-19 Contact Tracing: Descriptive Analysis |
| title_short | Outcomes of a Community Engagement and Information Gathering Program to Support Telephone-Based COVID-19 Contact Tracing: Descriptive Analysis |
| title_sort | outcomes of a community engagement and information gathering program to support telephone based covid 19 contact tracing descriptive analysis |
| url | https://publichealth.jmir.org/2022/11/e40977 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chichinudeagu outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis AT mashapitiranggon outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis AT kavitamisra outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis AT jamiehuang outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis AT thomasterilli outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis AT yasminramos outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis AT marthaalexander outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis AT christinekim outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis AT davidlee outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis AT kathleenblaney outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis AT chriskeeley outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis AT theodorelong outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis AT neilmvora outcomesofacommunityengagementandinformationgatheringprogramtosupporttelephonebasedcovid19contacttracingdescriptiveanalysis |