TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing American Red Cross First Aid mobile app user trends
T2 - Implications for resilience
AU - Musigdilok, Visanee V.
AU - Demeter, Natalie E.
AU - Burke, Rita V.
AU - Shook, Eric
AU - Ajayakumar, Jayakrishnan
AU - Berg, Bridget M.
AU - Hawkins, Michelle D.
AU - Ferree, John
AU - MacAloney, Brenton W.
AU - Chung, Sarita
AU - Pellegrino, Jeffrey L.
AU - Tolli, Dominick
AU - Hansen, Grant
AU - Upperman, Jeffrey S.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Disasters have devastated communities, impacted the economy, and resulted in a significant increase in injuries. As the use of mobile technology increasingly becomes a common aspect of everyday life, it is important to understand how it can be used as a resource. The authors examined the use of American Red Cross mobile apps and aimed to characterize user trends to better understand how mobile apps can help bolster individual and community preparedness, resilience, and response efforts.DESIGN/MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tornado data were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service. Data for the mobile apps were provided by the American Red Cross. All data were reviewed for 2013, 2014, and three specific tornado events. Data were organized in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and then graphed or mapped using ArcMap 10.2(™).RESULTS: Between 2013 and 2014, 1,068 tornado watches and 3,682 tornado warnings were issued. Additionally, 37,957,560 Tornado app users and 1,289,676 First Aid app users were active from 2013 to 2014. Overall, there was an increase in the use of American Red Cross mobile apps during tornado occurrences. Yet the increase does not show a consistent correlation with the number of watches and warnings issued.CONCLUSIONS: Mobile apps can be a resourceful tool. This study shows that mobile app use increases during a disaster. The findings indicate that there is potential to use mobile apps for building resilience as the apps provide information to support individuals and communities in helping before, during, and after disasters.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Disasters have devastated communities, impacted the economy, and resulted in a significant increase in injuries. As the use of mobile technology increasingly becomes a common aspect of everyday life, it is important to understand how it can be used as a resource. The authors examined the use of American Red Cross mobile apps and aimed to characterize user trends to better understand how mobile apps can help bolster individual and community preparedness, resilience, and response efforts.DESIGN/MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Tornado data were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service. Data for the mobile apps were provided by the American Red Cross. All data were reviewed for 2013, 2014, and three specific tornado events. Data were organized in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and then graphed or mapped using ArcMap 10.2(™).RESULTS: Between 2013 and 2014, 1,068 tornado watches and 3,682 tornado warnings were issued. Additionally, 37,957,560 Tornado app users and 1,289,676 First Aid app users were active from 2013 to 2014. Overall, there was an increase in the use of American Red Cross mobile apps during tornado occurrences. Yet the increase does not show a consistent correlation with the number of watches and warnings issued.CONCLUSIONS: Mobile apps can be a resourceful tool. This study shows that mobile app use increases during a disaster. The findings indicate that there is potential to use mobile apps for building resilience as the apps provide information to support individuals and communities in helping before, during, and after disasters.
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U2 - 10.5055/ajdm.2015.0209
DO - 10.5055/ajdm.2015.0209
M3 - Article
C2 - 27149308
AN - SCOPUS:85020319164
SN - 1932-149X
VL - 10
SP - 273
EP - 283
JO - American journal of disaster medicine
JF - American journal of disaster medicine
IS - 4
ER -
