Top 5 Takeaways

1. Implementation of Digital Notification: North Carolina implemented an automated digital notification system on December 24, 2020, to notify COVID-19 positive patients via text and email.
2. Increased Notification Speed: In January 2021, 56% of patients were notified within 24 hours, compared to 15% in the preceding month.
3. Disparities in Notification: Differences in notification success were observed by age, race, and ethnicity, with older adults and certain racial groups being less likely to be reached.
4. Efficiency of Digital Notification: Automated digital notifications proved to be a rapid and efficient method to inform patients, facilitate isolation, and support case investigation.
5. Public Health Implications: Automated digital notification systems can enhance timely outreach and potentially improve disease control during surges.

Original Article Author and Citation

Corresponding Author

Laura Farrell, laura.farrell@dhhs.nc.gov

Suggested Citation

Farrell L, Almond CR, et al. Automated Digital Notification of COVID-19 Diagnoses Through Text and Email Messaging — North Carolina, December 2020–January 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:1603–1607. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7046a3

Summary

North Carolina implemented an automated digital notification system on December 24, 2020, to notify patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results via text and email. This system significantly increased the speed of notifications, with 56% of patients being notified within 24 hours in January 2021, compared to 15% in the preceding month. Disparities in notification success were observed across different age, race, and ethnicity groups. The digital notification system proved to be a rapid and efficient method to inform patients, facilitate isolation, and support case investigation efforts.

Methods

The study evaluated the impact of automated digital notifications on the timeliness and completeness of patient notifications. Positive SARS-CoV-2 test results were reported to the North Carolina COVID-19 Surveillance System (NCCOVID) and transferred to the COVID-19 Community Team Outreach (CCTO) software for digital notification. Patients were grouped based on text message delivery status, and descriptive and inferential statistics were used to assess notification timeliness and completeness before and after the implementation of digital notifications.

Discussion

Automated digital notifications enabled more timely notification of COVID-19 positive patients, leading to a significant increase in the number of patients notified within 24 hours. However, disparities in notification success were observed, particularly among older adults and certain racial groups. The findings suggest that while digital notifications are effective, additional methods such as telephone or field-based communication may be necessary to reach all populations effectively.

Conclusion

Automated digital notification of COVID-19 diagnoses is a feasible and efficient method for timely patient outreach. Public health organizations can benefit from incorporating such systems into their surveillance efforts to improve disease control, especially during case surges. Future studies should explore ways to address disparities in notification success and evaluate the impact on secondary transmission.

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