PMID- 36812594 OWN - NLM STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE LR - 20230224 IS - 2767-3170 (Electronic) IS - 2767-3170 (Linking) VI - 1 IP - 10 DP - 2022 Oct TI - Improving the management and security of COVID 19 diagnostic test data with a digital platform in resource-limited settings: The case of PlaCARD in Cameroon. PG - e0000113 LID - 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000113 [doi] LID - e0000113 AB - During the COVID 19 pandemic, round-the-clock demand for COVID -19 laboratory tests exceeded capacity, placing a significant burden on laboratory staff and infrastructure. The use of laboratory information management systems (LIMS) to streamline all phases of laboratory testing (preanalytical, analytical, and postanalytical) has become inevitable. The objective of this study is to describe the architecture, implementation, and requirements of PlaCARD, a software platform for managing patient registration, medical specimens, and diagnostic data flow, as well as reporting and authentication of diagnostic results during the 2019 coronavirus pandemic (COVID -19) in Cameroon. Building on its experience with biosurveillance, CPC developed an open-source, real-time digital health platform with web and mobile applications called PlaCARD to improve the efficiency and timing of disease-related interventions. PlaCARD was quickly adapted to the decentralization strategy of the COVID 19 testing in Cameroon and, after specific user training, was deployed in all COVID 19 diagnostic laboratories and the regional emergency operations center. Overall, 71% of samples tested for COVID 19 by molecular diagnostics in Cameroon from 05 March 2020 to 31 October 2021 were entered into PlaCARD. The median turnaround time for providing results was 2 days [0-2.3] before April 2021 and decreased to 1 day [1- 1] after the introduction of SMS result notification in PlaCARD. The integration of LIMS and workflow management into a single comprehensive software platform (PlaCARD) has strengthened COVID 19 surveillance capabilities in Cameroon. PlaCARD has demonstrated that it can be used as a LIMS for managing and securing test data during an outbreak. CI - Copyright: (c) 2022 Tchatchueng-Mbougua et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. FAU - Tchatchueng-Mbougua, Jules Brice AU - Tchatchueng-Mbougua JB AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-0480-1505 AD - Epidemiology and public Heath Unit, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, membre du Reseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Yaounde, Cameroon. AD - IRD UMI 209 UMMISCO, University of Yaounde I, P.O. Box 337 Yaounde, Cameroon. FAU - Messanga Essengue, Loique Landry AU - Messanga Essengue LL AD - Epidemiology and public Heath Unit, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, membre du Reseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Yaounde, Cameroon. FAU - Septoh Yuya, Francis Jaudel AU - Septoh Yuya FJ AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-5513-4490 AD - Epidemiology and public Heath Unit, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, membre du Reseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Yaounde, Cameroon. FAU - Kamtchogom, Vanessa AU - Kamtchogom V AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-3504-7442 AD - Epidemiology and public Heath Unit, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, membre du Reseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Yaounde, Cameroon. FAU - Hamadou, Achta AU - Hamadou A AD - Epidemiology and public Heath Unit, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, membre du Reseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Yaounde, Cameroon. AD - Public Health Emergency Operations Coordination Center, Yaounde, Cameroon. FAU - Sadeuh-Mbah, Serge Alain AU - Sadeuh-Mbah SA AD - Virology Unit, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, membre du Reseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Yaounde, Cameroon. FAU - Tagnouokam-Ngoupo, Paul Alain AU - Tagnouokam-Ngoupo PA AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-7449-5128 AD - Virology Unit, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, membre du Reseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Yaounde, Cameroon. FAU - Tchuente, Maurice AU - Tchuente M AD - Fondation pour la recherche l'ingenierie et l'innovation,Yaounde, Cameroon. FAU - Njouom, Richard AU - Njouom R AD - Virology Unit, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, membre du Reseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Yaounde, Cameroon. FAU - Eyangoh, Sara AU - Eyangoh S AD - Public Health Emergency Operations Coordination Center, Yaounde, Cameroon. AD - Mycobacteriology Unit, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, membre du Reseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Yaounde, Cameroon. FAU - Tejiokem, Mathurin Cyrille AU - Tejiokem MC AD - Epidemiology and public Heath Unit, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, membre du Reseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Yaounde, Cameroon. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20221005 PL - United States TA - PLOS Digit Health JT - PLOS digital health JID - 9918335064206676 PMC - PMC9931268 COIS- The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. EDAT- 2023/02/23 06:00 MHDA- 2023/02/23 06:01 PMCR- 2022/10/05 CRDT- 2023/02/22 17:33 PHST- 2022/02/08 00:00 [received] PHST- 2022/08/26 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2023/02/22 17:33 [entrez] PHST- 2023/02/23 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2023/02/23 06:01 [medline] PHST- 2022/10/05 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - PDIG-D-22-00034 [pii] AID - 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000113 [doi] PST - epublish SO - PLOS Digit Health. 2022 Oct 5;1(10):e0000113. doi: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000113. eCollection 2022 Oct.