How PARTNER revolutionizes COVID-19 contact tracing software
Contact tracing is a critical part of maintaining public health as we reduce widespread self-isolation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. PARTNER is a COVID-19 contact tracing software that significantly improves our ability to collect, analyze and respond to contact tracing data. PARTNER uses network science to identify unseen hotspots, anticipate risk of spread, and inform public health decision-making in real time.
Why is PARTNER such powerful COVID-19 contact tracing software?
- PARTNER was made for this.
The platform is specifically designed to track extremely complex relationships between people and places in real time. It uses network science and sophisticated relational analysis to collect, map and analyze the kind of relational data we need for effective contact tracing.
- PARTNER is a well-established data system.
Originally developed over 10 years ago, PARTNER is a highly-adopted, validated platform used by network practitioners and decision-makers around the world. The platform has been used in diverse disaster recovery efforts including pandemic surveillance, recovery networks, and disaster mitigation.
- PARTNER uses web-based data entry.
Contact tracing data can be entered through a simple web link making it easy to collect consistent data from call-centers, in-person interviews, healthcare settings, or from home.
- PARTNER works with other data systems.
In addition to having its own web-based screener and data collection tools, the platform can seamlessly integrate data from other systems like patient health records.
- PARTNER can be used at scale.
The platform can handle millions of data points to simultaneously track complex contact networks at the local, state, and national levels.
How does COVID-19 contact tracing software work?
- Step 1
Infected patients or their interviewers fill out an online screener survey about the people and places they have had contact with over the past 14 days.
- Step 2
New contact network data instantly populates a centralized dashboard where contact networks can be mapped and analyzed using sophisticated relational analysis tools.
- Step 3
Real-time data and analysis can be efficiently translated into custom reports to inform decision making for community leaders, health professionals, and public health officials.
Who is Visible Network Labs?
At VNL we are experts in understanding complex relationships. Led by Dr. Danielle Varda, our team has spent the last 10 years using network science and technology to help people navigate the complex networks of relationships that affect their lives and work. We are deeply committed to doing everything we can to be a meaningful part of the solution as we navigate the diverse challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read some of our team’s recent publications below, or learn more about our team here.
Publications and reports from the VNL team
SDOH Screening Tools: 5 Key Factors to Consider
The importance of the social determinants of health is becoming more and more well-known among healthcare providers and practitioners. By helping patients meet their social needs like housing, transportation, food security and education, research suggests we can improve their overall health and well-being in ways
PARTNER Trust and Value Metrics: A Brief
As the old saying goes, ‘garbage in, garbage out.’ If you aren’t asking the right questions during a social network analysis, you aren’t going to have reliable data to analyze later on. For this reason, we spent a great deal of time creating our PARTNER
Webinar: Ecosystem Mapping and Tracking with PARTNER
https://youtu.be/1EpAPAqmjSQ Ecosystem Mapping and Tracking Can Teach You a LOT. An ecosystem consists of all the organizations, individuals, programs, and other entities that interact and interconnect to affect the outcomes of your work. For example, the healthcare ecosystem includes organizations like hospitals, clinics, public health
7 Things Social Network Analysis Can Teach You About Your Collaborative
Social network analysis has been around for many decades in academic circles, but it has only recently become a popular learning tool for networks and other collaboratives. For many decades we build partnerships and collaboratives largely based on gut and intuition, utilizing a ‘more is
PARTNERme Pilots Are Making an Impact for Colorado Patients & Providers
The past year of the pandemic and social distancing has clearly deemonstratted the importance of social connectedness in determining health and well-being outcomes. At VNL, our years of systems mapping has included research and development specifically to develop tools for providers to use this knowledge
PARTNER Method for Network Strategy: A Brief
Once you make the decision to take a network approach to solving a problem, you need to design a specific strategy – the way you will build, manage and evaluate your network – in order to reach your shared goals. We created our PARTNER Method,
Organizational Network Structures: 6 Common Examples
There are many different ways to structure a network… for example, in a decentralized structure, everyone in a network can be connected to everyone else, while in a centralized structure, everyone connects to a single, central entity. Each of these organizational network structures has its
Systems Thinking Quotes | 23 Favorite Thought-Provoking Sayings
Systems thinking is an important perspective for all network leaders! A network is fundamentally a system, experiencing many of the same dynamics that other systems go through, including emergence, feedback loops, and interconnection. We’ve come across many insightful systems thinking quotes and sayings over our
Meet our New Research & Data Technologist, Bria Thomas
We’re excited to share that we’re growing out staff again at VNL. Bria Thomas, our new Research & Data Technologist, brings a wealth of experience from the public health field, along with a diverse skillset in technology and innovation. She’ll be working with both our
What is a Network Strategy? Why Is Having One So Important?
For those working in the field of social impact, building networks is part of the new normal. Creating partnerships with other organizations lets us share resources and knowledge, coordinate our action, and leverage diverse forms of value like influence and experience. However it is too
Webinar: Virtual Facilitation in the Age of COVID-19
https://youtu.be/phi5IWIBdiM Virtual Facilitation Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult… Our Webinar Can Help! COVID-19 has changed the way network leaders meet and engage with each other. Given the very real need to avoid face-to-face interactions and socially distance, many are turning to virtual facilitation to fill
More Than Social Isolation: 3 Different Types of Adverse Social Connectedness
After the past year of social distancing and isolation, the importance of social connections have never been so vividly clear to so many. With loved ones unable to meet face-to-face, friendships difficult to maintain, and social isolation on the rise, it has become quite obvious
Colorado’s Early Childhood Councils play an important role in improving health, education and other social outcomes for kids. They do this by connecting and coordinating work between stakeholders in the early childhood ecosystem. This includes nonprofits, government agencies, healthcare providers, educators, and other community organizations.
Nearly a decade ago, our founder Dr. Danielle Varda accompanied her mother to a check-in appointment with oncologist. Her mom had been fighting breast cancer for nearly a year and was beginning to struggle to take care of herself all by herself. 
