Accounting for health inequities in the design of contact tracing interventions: A rapid review

Abstract

Background: Contact tracing has been a central control measure for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. However, without consideration of the needs of specific populations, public health interventions can exacerbate health inequities. Aim: The purpose of this rapid review was to determine if and how health inequities were included in the design of contact tracing interventions in epidemic settings. Methods: A search of the electronic databases MEDLINE and Web of Science was conducted. The following inclusion criteria were applied for article selection: (1) described the design of contact tracing interventions, (2) published between 2013 and 2020 in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, or Portuguese, (3) and included at least 50% of empiricism, according to the Automated Classifier of Texts on Scientific Studies (ATCER) tool. Various tools were used to extract data. Results: Following screening of the titles and abstracts of 230 articles, 39 met the inclusion criteria. Only seven references were retained after full text review. None of the selected studies considered health inequities in the design of contact tracing interventions. Conclusions: The use of tools/concepts for incorporating health inequities, such as the REFLEX-ISS tool, and ‘proportionate universalism’ when designing contact tracing interventions, would enable practitioners, decision-makers, and researchers to better consider health inequities.

Keywords

• Contact tracing
• Epidemics
• COVID-19
• Design
• Health inequities