PLUSME: Application for Convalescent Plasma Donor Based on Digital Database for COVID-19 Patient Treatment

Abstract

Every country in the world is currently facing one big problem, COVID-19. When it comes to handling this issue, vaccination is the most effective way to prevent further infection. Meanwhile, medical treatment is required for those already infected. Convalescent blood plasma is considered to be an effective treatment, yet there is a gap between numbers on how many donors were needed and its availability. PLUSME is created to make ends meet by connecting recipients and donors through the application and creating a database for future potential donors with the Indonesian Red Cross (IRC). The concept of this application is expected to fill the gap in the convalescent plasma donor process and give ease of access for those who need to take part in this action.

Keywords: COVID-19, convalescent plasma donor, PLUSME application

Introduction

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a coronavirus that was first discovered in Wuhan, China (Unicef, 2020).  China reported the presence of the coronavirus to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019 (WHO, 2020). The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, or sore throat. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually(WHO, 2020). According to Wang, Lang, Wenbo H., Xiaoimei Y., Dalong H., Mingwei B., Huafen L. et al. (2020), high proportion of severe to critical cases and high fatality rate were observed in the elderly COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 has hit all parts of the world, including Indonesia. The Novel Coronavirus Disease has entered its second wave in Indonesia, and the number of infection cases is increasing day by day. Until August 5 2021, positive cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia reached 3,500,000 people, where Indonesia is currently the country with the highest positive cases in Southeast Asia. This condition is exacerbated by the total COVID-19 testing in Indonesia, which is still far from the standards of the World Health Organization (Detik, 2020).

One of the problems faced by Indonesia in dealing with COVID-19 is the lack of reliable access to provide information, including access to convalescent plasma donors (BBC Indonesia, 2021). Whereas, plasma donors can help cure COVID-19 patients. The use of convalescent plasma (CP) therapy as an additional treatment for this condition has been suggested. According to Putera and Hardianti (2020), this method has been tried to treat Ebola, the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and severe acute respiratory coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infections, with good outcomes in multiple studies. The goal of convalescent plasma therapy is to reduce viral load, cytokine response, and mortality. It can be concluded that convalescent plasma therapy shows promise to COVID-19 patients.

Not only that, according to Maulana, Muhammad (2020), Convalescent blood plasma can reduce mortality in Covid-19 patients compared to therapies that are still being testet. Blood Plasma Convalescent Administration can help shorten hospitalizations and reduce mortality in Covid-19 patients.

Many COVID-19 patients were trying to look for blood plasma donors due to a lack of special containers (BBC, 2021). Indonesian people who are exposed to the COVID-19 virus are still finding it difficult to get access to convalescent plasma donors. 

With that condition, there are many people trying to find convalescent plasma donors through social media like Instagram, Twitter, and broadcast messages. In addition, the need for convalescent plasma transfusion is currently one of the things that is difficult to obtain. The requirements for donors are, healthy, have recovered from COVID-19, 18-60 years old, weigh more than 55 kilograms, preferably male, symptom-free for 14 days after recovery and has a Covid-free certificate, (PMI, 2021). Convalescent plasma transfusion is an additional therapy for COVID-19 patients by providing immunity or passive immunity through the administration of immunoglobulins with convalescent plasma from COVID-19 survivors who meet the criteria as donors (Indonesian Ministry of Health Research and Development Agency, 2020).

Therefore, the authors proposed the "PLUSME: Application for Convalescent Plasma Donor Based on Digital Database for Covid-19 Patient Treatment". PLUSME is one solution to make it easier for people to get access to convalescent plasma donors. This application provides information on the number of convalescent plasma donors available at the nearest IRC so that people do not need to mobilize to the IRC main hub. This application also provides data on people who fit the criteria for donors so that someone in need can immediately get convalescent plasma donors.

This application should make it easier for individuals to find out about available convalescent plasma donors. Furthermore, this application will support the government's efforts to increase the recovery rate of people exposed to COVID-19.

Materials and Methods

Time and Place

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and several activity restrictions, application creation PLUSME is carried out in a blended manner between offline and online activities.

Offline Activities: Purchase of tools and materials, application testing, application realization, collaboration with Indonesian Red Cross (IRC) and hospitals, as well as application development carried out in the information system laboratory of the Faculty of Science and Technology Universitas Airlangga and Inkubasi Bisnis Universitas Airlangga.

Online Activities: Discussion activities, preparation, application concept planning, literature studies, application design designs, and logo designs are carried out online by groups, supervisors, and related parties through the Zoom meeting application, Google Meet, or WhatsApp video call regularly. In addition, the application promotion process PLUSME is carried out virtually by utilizing social media, events, and experiences, as well as making posters or banners.

Tools and Materials

The tools used consist of hardware (Personal Computer (PC) or Laptop); Software (Visual Studio 2015 and Windows 10 Operating System); Wifi, Hard Disk, VPS Hosting, Domain, Code Source Development.

Materials needed are: Database regarding third parties (Indonesian Red Cross, Clinic, and Hospital) in testing COVID-19 and database regarding patients/application users of PLUSME.

Methods

A. Research Design

   The research design in this writing is using a qualitative study. The qualitative was used because the research focuses on literature-based research. According to Moleong (1998), the source of qualitative research data is displayed in the form of spoken or written words that are observed by researchers, and objects that are observed in detail so that the meaning implied in the object document can be captured.

B. Research Method

   The research method in this writing is using descriptive types. According to Glass & Hopkins (1984), descriptive research involves gathering data that describe events and then organizes, tabulates, depicts, and describes the data collection. 

   This writing using a secondary data type. According to Doolan & Froelicher's theory concept (2009), Secondary data analysis is a flexible approach that may be used in a variety of ways; it is also an empirical activity that includes procedural and evaluative elements, much like gathering and analyzing primary data.

C. Data Collection

Literature study is a technique for identifying, recording, and understanding a sort of literature as analyzing research material.

Documentation is a technique for reviewing selected research papers and articles from the internet, journal, and books relevant to the issue.

Discussion, a data collection technique by communicating and discussing with people that have the capability to analyze the object being studied to solve the problem.

Intuitive-subjective is a technique involving the author's personal opinion on the research problem being studied.

D. Technique of Analyzing Data

The data analysis in this writing uses descriptive analysis with qualitative data approaches. Qualitative research focuses on words rather than numbers. The methods for analyzing qualitative data in this research also use four flows, it is data collection, data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing (Miles and Huberman, 2014).

Discussion

PLUSME is a digital-based COVID-19 preference application that focuses on giving information on convalescent plasma donors, comprising donor availability, data on those who fit the requirements, and donor processes. PLUSME aims to provide sufficient convalescent blood in order to rescue the COVID-19 patient. There are three features on PLUSME which are 1) Recipient; 2) Donate; 3) Consultation; and 4) Volunteer. These features are designed to help users experience the best service for convalescent plasma donation.

PLUSME will be integrated with cloud computing systems to collect and gather databases of the Post-COVID-19 patient. The Post-COVID-19 patient is obligated to fill the form. Patients are considered volunteers, so it is fully their choice to fill the form. By adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI), the data will be screened according to the requirement for blood transfusion. The PLUSME databases will be easier for users who need a convalescent plasma.

It is more efficient than the IRC system that asks the patient to bring a doctor's appointment to IRC. The PLUSME information system will also help the health worker to easily check the document online and announce the verification process all in one application. The registration process will be automatically using barcodes to make it simple in order to ease recipient requests to be processed as soon as possible.

According to Indraswara (2021), the need for convalescent plasma for COVID-19 therapy is high in Indonesia, even the Indonesian Red Cross is needed to anticipate those highly demanded needs. It shows that Indonesian citizens are aware of convalescent plasma and a tool to help them find the convalescent plasma would be a good way to help them to fulfill their needs. PLUSME enables users to look for a convalescent plasma that is also integrated with Indonesian Red Cross (IRC) data. PLUSME will cooperate with IRC in order to collect and gather convalescent plasma data. IRC health workers would update the data in PLUSME so recipient candidates can check what convalescent plasma is available currently.

The "Recipient" feature provides simple steps for the recipient candidate to start from choosing the IRC, check for availability, and upload the data requirements. Then, candidates will get a status on their profile which shows that their requests are in the process to be verified by IRC. The application will send a notification to the user if the status is updated. If the received request is accepted and verified, they will receive a barcode to be scanned by the IRC health worker to the final confirmation at the IRC hub before transporting the convalescent plasma. Not only helping the recipient, but the "Recipient" feature also helps the IRC to collect and also provides an integrated online database that helps in the recipient verification process.

Indonesia is in need of convalescent plasma donors. The "Donate" feature makes possible connections between donors and IRC. The "Donate" feature simplifies the donor register process to do a blood screening test by choosing the time schedule that has been prepared by IRC. This flexible system makes our donor candidates more likely to participate in donations. PLUSME wants to give the best experience for users, so being simple and flexible is important for PLUSME.

All donator data are gathered in one integrated online database which creates an efficient system for all donors and IRC health workers themselves. The "Donate" feature also brings innovation by adding a barcode scanner in the feature. The barcode helps to verify and identify the users easily and effectively when it comes to sign-in at IRC for attending the blood screening test. The effectiveness of verifying donor candidates makes it easier for both donor candidates and IRC workers while also increasing data safeness.

The poor number of donors is one of the biggest problems for establishing an effective convalescent plasma therapy. Many factors affect people not take part in blood donor programs. One of it occurs from the internal of the donor candidate which is the feeling of fearness. In this pandemic era, people become more aware of their health and it makes them protect themselves to prevent the infections of COVID-19. This situation makes many people feel doubt about their safety when they do a blood donation because of the fear of the possibility of catching COVID-19 (Indrawati, 2020). Realizing how this situation affects the convalescent plasma therapy process, PLUSME made a feature named "Consultation".

The "Consultation" feature provides health advice for recipients and donors in the form of online consultation with doctors. By providing a place between donor candidate or recipient and consultant to communicate, this feature can increase the user willingness to be a convalescent plasma donation and also for those who already be a donor, Consultation can be a place to consulate any problem that occurs after the donator performs a convalescent plasma donation. "Consultation" feature build  consumer trust in PLUSME that will operate in the health government standard.

The application will be maximized if it is supported by many stakeholders, comprising:

1. IRC and Hospital

This application can run if it has the support of all IRC and hospitals in Indonesia. With the integration of convalescent plasma availability data at IRC with the application, it will be easier for the public to see the availability without having to bother coming directly to IRC.

1. Government

The government can help introduce the application to the public so that the public can use this application effectively to obtain blood plasma in an efficient and effective manner.

1. Public

The community can help introduce and recommend this application to others so that more people are helped.

1. COVID-19 Survivor Community

COVID-19 survivors can use this application as a means to donate blood. By using this application, COVID-19 survivors will make it easier for those who need convalescent blood donation.

 

Implementation Process

1. Requirement Analysis --- Conducting public research to analyze problems regarding increasing demand for convalescent plasma donors that imbalances its supplies. PLUSME features will be customized according to the analysis to create a suitable system that is needed by its future user.
2. System Design --- Designing an application operating system such as PLUSME user interface and its features.
3. Implementation --- Implementing analysis that is required by the system that has been aligned with application interface design. Features are created regarding user's requirements through developments to create an effective system.
4. System Testing --- Once the implementation step is completed, there will be testing to minimize the number of errors.
5. System Maintenance --- Maintain and develop features such as updating information and fix existing errors to support the application's sustainability

SWOT Analysis

PLUSME has strengths to facilitate the search for donors and the process of blood transfusion, provide checking services by partnering with accredited health institutions, availability of convalescent plasma donor feature, there are also consulting services at affordable prices for who wants to become either a donor or recipient. Therefore. PLUSME also has some weaknesses such as low brand awareness and requires substantial capital. In order to overcome these problems, PLUSME will reach out to various stakeholders to increase brand awareness and raise capital, such as Hospitals, Universities, Health Offices, etc. Meanwhile, PLUSME has opportunity to assists government's concentration in reducing COVID-19 cases in Indonesia while there are no similar applications with a focus on blood donation. PLUSME will also face a threat if once COVID-19 has already solved, demands for this application will be decreased. However, PLUSME will still be able to continuously provide developments in health service consultation.

Closing

COVID-19 has become the largest issue that needs to be overcome by Indonesia, especially when it comes to medical treatment for patients. Convalescent plasma donor has proven to be effective as an alternative to accelerate the recovery process. However, there's a gap between how many donors are required and the number of donors availability. Therefore, PLUSME is created to solve the problem by connecting the donors and recipients as well as creating a database for future potential donors. Working together with IRC, PLUSME is expected to provide the help that connects people and accelerates their recovery process from COVID-19 infection.

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