Zusammenfassung
Background: Global environmental change is exacerbating human vulnerability to adverse
atmospheric conditions including air pollution, aeroallergens such as pollen, and extreme weather
events. Public information and advisories are a central component of responses to mitigate the
human impacts of environmental hazards. Digital technologies are emerging as a means of providing
personalised, timely and accessible warnings.
Method: We describe AirRater, an integrated online platform that combines symptom
surveillance, environmental monitoring, and notifications of changing environmental conditions via
a free smartphone app. It was developed and launched in Tasmania, Australia (population 510 000),
with the aim of reducing health impacts and improving quality of life in people with conditions such
as asthma and allergic rhinitis.We present environmental data, user uptake and results from three
online evaluation surveys conducted during the first 22 months of operation, from October 2015
through August 2017.
Results: There were 3,443 downloads of the app from all regions of Tasmania. Of the 1,959
individuals who registered, 79\% reported having either asthma or allergic rhinitis. Downloads
increased during adverse environmental conditions and following publicity. Symptom reports per
active user were highest during spring (72\%), lowest in autumn (37\%) and spiked during periods of
reduced air quality. In response to online surveys, most users reported that the app was useful and had
improved their understanding of how environmental conditions affect their health, and in some cases
had prompted action such as the timely use of medication.
Conclusion: Active engagement and consistent positive feedback from users demonstrates the
potential for considerable individual, clinical and wider public health benefits from integrated and
personalised monitoring systems such as AirRater. The perceived health benefits require objective
verification, and such systems need to address several challenges in providing timely, reliable and
valid environmental data.
Nutzer