Computer System for Monitoring and Tracing Cases and Close contacts of COVID-19 in Puerto Madryn, Chubut

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: An intervention was carried out in the city of Puerto Madryn, Chubut. The pandemic showed the need for timely identification, systematic tracking, and focus control of COVID-19 cases, close contacts, and associated events. The general objective was to improve the quality of health team work and the response of the health system through the implementation of a software called RastreAr. METHODS: A quasi-experimental approach was used. The aim was to show the causality between the intervention and the objectives achieved. A pre- and post-intervention assessment was conducted. RESULTS: Prior to its implementation, RastreAr was compared to a spreadsheet-based system. In operation, it was contrasted with the national registry of cases. It presented an improvement in terms of efficiency and quality compared to the first, optimizing resources and being more effective than the national registry, as it recorded not only confirmed cases but also close contacts and allowed tracking of both. DISCUSSION: Through the identification of the different outbreaks that occurred during the operation of the RastreAr system, it is feasible to integrate the information in terms of epidemiological surveillance, in order to contribute to an improvement in process quality and assist health personnel.