ABSTRACT
A Chatbot or Conversational Agent is a computer application that simulates the conversation with a human person (by text or voice), giving automated responses to people's needs. In the healthcare domain, chatbots can be beneficial to help patients, as a complement to care by health personnel, especially in times of high demand or constrained resources such as the COVID-19 Pandemic. In this paper we share the design and implementation of a healthcare chatbot called Tana at the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. Considering best practices and being aware of possible unintended consequences, we must take advantage of information and communication technologies, such as chatbots, to analyze and promote useful conversations for the health of all people.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Argentina , COVID-19/epidemiology , Delivery of Health Care , Hospitals, University , Humans , PandemicsABSTRACT
WHO and UNICEF highlight vaccination as the most cost-effective method of prevention of infectious diseases. An effective public health strategy requires efficient tracking of vaccination to assess coverage, safety, and efficacy of these vaccines. Paper-based immunization records are still being used in most low and middle-income countries. Adequate Electronic Logistic Management Information Systems, Immunization Registries and Records are crucial for proper data collection and analysis, and for making better decisions at an individual and at a population level. In this paper we share our experience in the redesign of an interoperable immunization record to track vaccination, including the recently developed vaccines for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Vaccines , Argentina/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Hospitals , Humans , Immunization , Immunization Programs , Pandemics/prevention & control , SARS-CoV-2 , VaccinationABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) promoted several activities to strengthen the countries' emergency response. Vaccines represented a breakthrough in the pandemic evolution, even though they have not been equitably distributed. As most vaccines have received emergency authorizations for their timely delivery, vaccine safety surveillance has been highlighted for detecting early signals of potential adverse events following immunization (AEFI, also known as ESAVI). The objective of this article is to share the different steps, methodologies, and preliminary results of a regional policy to strengthen the ESAVI surveillance system in the Americas, including the adoption of HL7 FHIR for health information exchange between countries and PAHO.