Awareness and Usage of 'Aarogya Setu' Mobile Phone Application in Mulshi Block of Pune District: A Clinic-based Study

ABSTRACT

Background: The 'Aarogya Setu' mobile phone application (app) is designed to inform people regarding the potential risk of COVID-19.Alimited amount of information is available about awareness and usage of the app. Objective: To assess awareness, opinions, and usage of the 'Aarogya Setu' app amongst out patients of three clinics in Mulshi taluka of Pune district. Methods: Convenient sampling technique was used. A total of 234 patients were interviewed who visited the clinics over five months. The interviews were conducted on phone using a pre-tested questionnaire. Additionally, 15 indepth interviews were conducted with the participants who had previously used the app. on the telephone using an interview schedule. Quantitative data were analyzed by calculating frequencies and associations. An inductive approach was used to analyze qualitative information. Results: Around one-third of the participants (33.8%) were aware that the 'Government of India' (Gol) has developed an app named 'Aarogya Setu' to fight against the pandemic. A significantly higher percentage of awareness was observed in the participants less than 35 years of age. The app was mostly known and used for 'obtaining the number of nearby COVID-19 patients'. Overall, the participants believed in the purpose of the app. Concerns were raised about the reliability of the data gained from the app. Conclusion: Awareness of the 'Aarogya Setu' app needs to be enhanced amongst all age groups. Trust building in the app must be strengthened simultaneously.