DIGITAL CONTACT TRACING FOR PANDEMIC RESPONSE

As nations race to hone contact tracing efforts the world s experts consider strategies for maximum transparency and impact As public health professionals around the world work tirelessly to respond to the COVID 19 pandemic it is clear that traditional methods of contact tracing need to be augmented in order to help address a public health crisis of unprecedented scope Innovators worldwide are racing to develop and implement novel public facing technology solutions including digital contact tracing technology These technological products may aid public health surveillance and containment strategies for this pandemic and become part of the larger toolbox for future infectious outbreak prevention and control As technology evolves in an effort to meet our current moment Johns Hopkins Project on Ethics and Governance of Digital Contact Tracing Technologies a rapid research and expert consensus group effort led by Dr Jeffrey P Kahn of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics in collaboration with the university s Center for Health Security carried out an in depth analysis of the technology and the issues it raises Drawing on this analysis they produced a report that includes detailed recommendations for technology companies policymakers institutions em