Designing a Digital Platform for Seasonal Influenza: Concept Mapping with Infectious Disease Experts

Abstract Purpose The goal of this research was to identify features and functions of a digital platform that would help experts make policy and programmatic decisions related to seasonal influenza. We aimed to: 1) explore desired digital platform features and functions among influenza experts; 2) understand the perceived importance and feasibility of features and functions; and 3) identify how a digital platform could aid experts in decision making. Methods A total of 25 infectious disease experts in the US participated in a concept mapping study to identify features and functions of a digital platform. Experts brainstormed ideas, sorted ideas into groups and ranked their feasibility and importance, and provided feedback on uses for this information. Quantitative data was analyzed using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Results Experts generated 67 statements grouped into 8 clusters named: Community Engagement, Transparency and Sustainability, Historical Context and Trends, Stratifying Data, Filtering Data, User Interface and Functionality, Forecasts and Scenarios, and Planning and Resource Allocation. Digital platform data would assist in decisions related to resource allocation and public health preparedness. Conclusion Features and functions of a digital platform vary between disciplines, which may make it difficult to design a single system. All experts agree that information about disease burden should be able to be stratified into smaller groups: either by location or by high-risk category. A platform should allow an individual to customize their experience by selecting from a large set of surveillance data and epidemiological parameters.