Preventing the spread of COVID-19 on the University of Michigan campus is a team sport. That means each day, every member of the campus community is required to complete a ResponsiBLUE health screening before entering U-M facilities. Inputting these key stats just got easier too, with the addition of the ResponsiBLUE mobile app to the Apple App Store and Google Play.
The daily screening tool asks faculty, students, and staff a brief series of questions regarding common COVID-19 symptoms and offers advice on where to seek care if needed. Data collected through ResponsiBLUE provides valuable insights to U-M public health experts monitoring the health of the overall campus community and helps with informed decision making regarding the university’s response to the pandemic.
“Our goal is to help everyone quickly understand whether they are at risk, to connect individuals to relevant university resources and to provide insights and visibility to the state of public health at U-M,” said Robert Ernst, associate vice president for student life and executive director of University Health Service.
A guest version of the app is also available for anyone visiting campus who plans to enter a U-M building.
University community members studying or working remotely are also encouraged to use ResponsiBLUE, but it is not required. Doing so helps aggregate additional data to provide useful information to experts, and supports building healthy habits for those who will return to campus at a later date.
“Our community genuinely cares for each other, and that shows through how people are wearing masks, following social distancing, and using the university’s health screening tool RepsonsiBLUE. That culture of care is part of our DNA,” said Ravi Pendse, vice president for information technology and chief information officer.
Information collected in the screening tool is managed by U-M’s Information and Technology Services and provided in protected institutional reports. Identifiable information is only retained for 30 days, after which the uniqname is deleted.
“We take privacy, confidentiality, and appropriate use of the data collected through this tool very seriously, and are committed to protecting the privacy of the university community members and its guests,” Pendse said.
