COVIDOM App : the ‘phygital’ experience features in the health strategy

Covidom app is an unprecedented organizational device which played a major role in the regional health strategy, in Paris and the surrounding area, under the first epidemic wave.

This device was initially intended to secure the digital patients’ follow-up, for those who do not have medical complications, without overcrowding health care facilities or general practitioners, allowing them to dedicate more time to patients who really need it, as presenting a more severe form of the illness.

Based on a e-health patient follow-up app designed by a consortium of AP-HP practitioners, co-developed with the start-up Nouveal e-health, and seconded by a regional medical telemonitoring center supervised by AP-HP, this device allowed to structure a graduated patient care system, approved upstream by URPS Médecins libéraux d’Ile-de-France (a collective of private Doctors in the Parisian area) and l’ARS Ile-de-France (the Regional Health Agency of the Parisian area).

COVIDOM – a reliable and scalable medical telemonitoring app

At the pick of the first epidemic wave, the ‘phygital’ device COVIDOM has demonstrated its relevance and efficacy as we have processed up to 40 000 users per day, and more than 35 000 surveys filled out every day. Hopefully, potential peaks regarding the number of patients needing specific medical care, handled by the remote medical monitoring center, were anticipated thanks to experts who upgraded our system to raise its reliability and scalability. Moreover, we are still working towards improving our device’s performances, in order to be prepared for a potential larger use of our app in the coming months.

COVIDOM – a responsive medical telemonitoring center

Regarding the monitoring center, it supervised up to 9 000 alerts daily, and up to 1 400 each hour. Over 2 500 volunteers joined the telemonitoring unit, including 1 000 practitioners, 1 000 professionals working in the health sector, and 500 willing citizens.

COVIDOM – what do patients and health professionals think of it?

According to a satisfaction survey performed in June 2020 on a sample of 26 000 patients using Covidom app, with a response rate over 35% – which represents 9 000 patients – 92% of them were satisfied with the provided care, 86% felt less stressed via the usage Covidom app, and 93% felt reassured.

From the health professionals perspective, the satisfaction survey demonstrated that amongst the 650 health practitioners interviewed (including 332 general practitioners and 201 hospital practitioners), 95% were satisfied with the device, and 84% would recommend it to a colleague.

Among the principal benefits quoted by health practitioners, we can mention:

• Reassuring patients.
• A formalized follow-up.
• Freeing up medical time for patients who need it the most.
• Alerts being handled on the weekends.

Finally, the device allowed to reduce by 50% the number of emergency and private consultations, as well as teleconsultations and 911 calls in the Parisian area.