The seasonal epidemic comes at us quickly. While we have vaccines and other medications to protect ourselves, we lack a reliable method for tracking how the flu spreads across the U.S. Some researchers have been experimenting with tracking the flu through Twitter; however, this is obviously limited to Twitter users.
The Skoll Foundation, in partnership with the American Public Health Association and Boston Children’s Hospital, developed Flu Near You to allow anyone to protect themselves from the flu — by having access to information on how widespread symptoms are in their area. The multi-platform app is the “the first nonprofit, crowd-sourced, real-time tracking system for flu symptoms across the US.”
Because the system relies on crowdsourcing, it needs individuals voluntarily answering weekly surveys with questions such as, “Do you have any of the following symptoms?” The weekly reporting is simple and quick. Anyone 13 or older is able to participate. Users can sign up via Facebook or email address. The signup screen states that users can “Stay informed & help track the flu with short weekly surveys. Participation is free, voluntary and information you share is anonymous.”
Flu Near You uses the data to display maps of flu symptoms across the nation, even going as far as to show graphs in specific neighborhoods. It also provides timely updates on outbreak status, prevention methods, and local vaccination centers.
“Flu Near You relies on direct public engagement with the goal of developing an effective early-warning system that will undoubtedly save lives. This innovative system…potentially could change the way we study other diseases and track related data.”
If the app becomes widespread, it could provide a valuable tool for tracking the spread of the flu, and helping users prepare if it approaches their area. What do you think – could this crowd-sourced, opt-in approach of flu tracking be more accurate than Twitter-based methods?
