A content review of COVID-19-related apps used in Vietnam

Linh Tran; Federica Cucé; Nguyen Thanh An; Kadek Agus Surya Dila; Nguyen Hai Nam; Doan Le Nguyet Cat; Lee Wei Jun; Farrukh Ansar; Fatima Abdallh; Au Vo; Nguyen Tien Huy

doi:10.3855/jidc.19329

A content review of COVID-19-related apps used in Vietnam

Authors

Linh Tran University of Health Sciences, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8667-082X
Federica Cucé Surgery, Dentistry, Maternity and Infant Department, University of Verona, Verona, 37124, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7443-1976
Nguyen Thanh An Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine and Pharmacy, Duy Tan University, Da Nang City, 550000, Vietnam https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6024-0258
Kadek Agus Surya Dila Giri Emas Hospital, Singaraja City, Buleleng, Bali 81171, Indonesia
Nguyen Hai Nam Department of Liver Tumor, Cancer Center, Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam
Doan Le Nguyet Cat University of British Columbia Faculty of Science, 2329 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
Lee Wei Jun School of Medicine, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, 57000, Malaysia
Farrukh Ansar Department of Medicine, Alkhidmat Raazi Hospital, Rawalpindi, 46000, Pakistan
Fatima Abdallh Faculty of Medicine, Hashemite University, Zarqa City, 11623, Jordan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0455-9314
Au Vo University of California, Los Angeles, 90095, USA
Nguyen Tien Huy School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, 1–12–4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.19329

Keywords:

COVID-19, mobile app, contact tracing

Abstract

Introduction: Various digital applications (apps) have been developed as an aid to address the novel issues caused by the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Vietnam has experienced a proliferation of apps for this purpose. This review aims to evaluate all Vietnamese COVID-19 apps, analyzing their features, functionality, advantages, disadvantages, and ethical issues to inform developers, communities, and governments on the most desirable features of COVID-19 apps and the user’s opinions.

Methodology: A systematic search was conducted on October 1, 2022, on PubMed, Scopus, Google, and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News’s official website to identify COVID-19 apps available in Vietnam. The apps were evaluated through user reviews and content analysis of their specific features and drawbacks.

Results: Thirty Vietnam-based COVID-19 mobile apps were identified on the Apple and Google Play Store. Their functions were recorded and analyzed using a dedicated tool for appraising mobile applications. Although useful, many specific COVID-19 features were dispersed and duplicated between the apps. The most comprehensive apps still lack important functionalities, such as vaccination information. The most serious user concerns were privacy breaches during data recording and storage, technical issues, and non-user-friendly interfaces.

Conclusions: The panorama of current COVID-19 apps in Vietnam is complex and includes many apps. Their overlap in features and functions could create a dispersion of mobile users that could undermine the apps’ usefulness and effectiveness in combating the pandemic in Vietnam. An app that integrates the most useful features and addresses the main issues could facilitate user experience and usage uptake.

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Published

2025-02-28

How to Cite

Tran L, Cucé F, Thanh An N, Dila KAS, Nam NH, Cat DLN, Jun LW, Ansar F, Abdallh F, Vo A, Huy NT (2025) A content review of COVID-19-related apps used in Vietnam. J Infect Dev Ctries 19:208–220. doi: 10.3855/jidc.19329

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Issue

Vol. 19 No. 02: February 2025

Section

Coronavirus Pandemic

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