Smartphone applications are increasingly being used to facilitate casual sexual relationships, increasing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Recognizing this, the Monroe County (NY) Health Department (MCHD) conducted a study to explore how traditional contact elicitation methods can be enhanced with smartphone technology during field interviews in STD investigations. Through this work, the health department found that smartphone technology used by disease intervention specialists (DIS) in the field improved contact elicitation and resulted in successful partner notification and case finding.
Read the full article in Public Health Reports, check out this poster on the study, and contact John M. Owens, Jr., Public Health Representative at MCHD, for more information.