The COVID-19 symptom-tracking app: an interview with SU2C CEO, Sung Poblete

Written by The Evidence Base
COVID-19 Health technology assessment Immunology and infectious diseases Interviews Oncology and hematology Stakeholder engagement

In this interview, originally published on our sister site Oncology Central, Sung Poblete, CEO of Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C; CA, USA), discusses the organization’s involvement in the ‘COVID Symptom Tracker’ app.

Recently, an app designed to track the progression, or lack thereof, of users’ COVID-19 symptoms and the spread of the disease, was launched in the UK. Following input from Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C; CA, USA), this app has been updated and is now recruiting users across the USA, including cancer patients and survivors.

In an interview with our sister site Oncology Central, Sung Poblete, CEO of SU2C, discusses the organization’s involvement in the ‘COVID Symptom Tracker’ app and why it is so important to collect data on such at-risk populations.

Read the full interview on our sister site Oncology Central now>>

What do you think the main challenge is when using an app to track a viral pandemic and how do you think this could be overcome?

This is a new disease and there are a lot of questions that researchers, and the medical community as a whole, are still trying to find the answers to. As we learn more about COVID-19, as more people use the app and more data is inputted, scientists will be able to better refine the app in order to get data that is the most relevant and valuable to answer the pressing questions when it comes to understanding COVID-19 and the impact it has on high-risk populations, like cancer patients and survivors.

This is a new disease and there are a lot of questions that researchers, and the medical community as a whole, are still trying to find the answers to.”

Another factor is that the app becomes more valuable as more people download it and input their data, so spreading awareness of the app and it’s benefits in order to increase use is critical to its success.

Read the full interview on our sister site Oncology Central now>>