The schisto track: A system for gathering and monitoring epidemiological surveys by connecting geographical information systems in real time

Abstract

Background: Using the Android platform as a notification instrument for diseases and disorders forms a new alternative for computerization of epidemiological studies. Objective: The objective of our study was to construct a tool for gathering epidemiological data on schistosomiasis using the Android platform. Methods: The developed application (app), named the Schisto Track, is a tool for data capture and analysis that was designed to meet the needs of a traditional epidemiological survey. An initial version of the app was finished and tested in both real situations and simulations for epidemiological surveys. Results: The app proved to be a tool capable of automation of activities, with data organization and standardization, easy data recovery (to enable interfacing with other systems), and totally modular architecture. Conclusions: The proposed Schisto Track is in line with worldwide trends toward use of smartphones with the Android platform for modeling epidemiological scenarios.