Conference proceeding
UnityPhilly: Experiences with a Smartphone App that Facilitates Community Response to Opioid Overdoses
C&T '21: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Communities & Technologies - Wicked Problems in the Age of Tech, pp 89-95
20 Jun 2021
Abstract
This case study presents the use of UnityPhilly, a community-based smartphone intervention that facilitates layperson response to opioid overdoses. Our analysis focuses the information needs of lay responders. In a Philadelphia neighborhood particularly hard hit by the opioid crisis, 112 participants received training on identifying and reversing an overdose with the drug naloxone, and installed the UnityPhilly app on their smartphone. Over the course of one year, participants used the app to report 291 observed overdoses to one another and EMS, and respond to the scene of 74 overdose incidents. Our case study uses thematic analysis of interviews and survey data collected throughout the community trial. Results indicate that basic functionality was easy to use for many, enabling active user engagement and indicating significant potential for this intervention. However, usability issues included communication and information features during incident response, which were not discoverable. Addressing usability issues and information needs could help lay responders as well as overdose victims.
Metrics
4 Record Views
1 citations in Scopus
Details
- Title
- UnityPhilly: Experiences with a Smartphone App that Facilitates Community Response to Opioid Overdoses
- Creators
- Gabriela Marcu - University of Michigan–Ann ArborAmber Hardin - University of Michigan–Ann ArborJanna Ataiants - Drexel UniversityAlexis Roth - Drexel UniversityStephen E. Lankenau - Drexel UniversityDavid G. Schwartz - Bar-Ilan University
- Contributors
- Florian Cech (Editor)Shelly Farnham (Editor)
- Publication Details
- C&T '21: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Communities & Technologies - Wicked Problems in the Age of Tech, pp 89-95
- Conference
- C&T '21: Communities & Technologies 2021
- Series
- ACM Other Conferences
- Publisher
- ACM
- Number of pages
- 7
- Resource Type
- Conference proceeding
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Community Health and Prevention
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85109408536
- Other Identifier
- 991021985591804721