Unmet Need
The public health measures necessary to manage the COVID‐19 crisis require all residents in a community to understand what actions are being taken and why, how they can protect themselves and their communities, and where to turn if they suspect they are sick. Information is rapidly evolving and being made available online – but it does not easily reach non‐English speaking people, many of whom are immigrants and living on the margins. Further, low-income and immigrant households often access information online through their mobile phones. Baltimore City has over 47,000 foreign‐born residents speaking many languages, most of whom speak Spanish. Therefore, there is a critical equity need around information for city residents who are marginalized in many ways.
Technology Overview
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed Rapid Access to Infections Disease Information for Baltimore (RAPID-Baltimore), a human‐centered web‐based platform that bridges the gap between online resources and marginalized communities. It links Spanish‐speaking residents of Baltimore City- most of whom are immigrants- with a one‐stop shop featuring the most up‐to‐date information on COVID‐19 from symptoms and stay‐at‐home measures to school closures and meal pick‐up sites in a language they can understand. RAPID‐Baltimore has the potential to expand to other languages and cities as well as serve as a platform for future emergencies. RAPID‐Baltimore brings together the Schools of Public Health, Engineering and Medicine at Johns Hopkins University into partnership with Centro SOL, a community‐based organization focused on Latino health and opportunities, to deliver an innovative platform that connects marginalized and vulnerable City residents with critical information for pandemic response.
Stage of Development
The app is developed and undergoing pilot-testing.
Publications
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