iViaggio: the app for safe traveling

Abstract

he number of people travelling internationally increases year after year, mainly due to the more and more affordable cost of travelling and to the evergreater ease of transportation. Nowadays, any destination can be reached within 24 hours by plane, and the improvement of economic conditions facilitates both business and leisure travelling, as a matter of fact, according to data from the World Tourism Organization, the number of international trips is expected to increase by 3% to 4% per year.1 However, international travelling poses various health risks depending on travelers’ health conditions and the type of trip undertaken. Indeed, travelers may experience sudden changes in altitude, humidity, and temperature that can cause illness. Furthermore, serious health risks can result from poorquality housing, poor sanitary conditions, inadequate medical services, and the unavailability of drinking water. Potential risks strictly depend on the destination and the characteristics of the travel, and for this reason, anybody planning a trip should seek advice on the potential risks related to their destination and understand the protective measures needed to minimize the risk of contracting a disease. The risk of infection is linked to the epidemiology of the single country and to the different climatic conditions, which could expose travelers to etiological agents and vectors which are different from those which can be found in their countries of origin, but also to lower sanitary levels. Although doctors and tour operators can provide great help and good advice, it is crucial that travelers seek further information, understand the risks associated with travelling, and take the necessary precautions during their journey in order to travel safely. New technologies and application for smartphone (also known as app) might help more and more in promoting healthy behaviors.2 The greatest strength of health-related apps is that information is provided through channels already used by the citizen and perceived as “friendly.” Moreover, apps are a great way to communicate in “one-to-many” mode, in contrast to the standard “one-to-one” healthcare approach; this exponentially increases the quantity of educational content sent. Furthermore, by using the app, users produce new electronic data and make it available to researchers and policy makers, thus creating a new field of big-data-based research.3, 4 The aim of this study was to develop an applications for smartphones (“iViaggio: the travel app, traveling in safety”) (Figure 1), designed to provide information about the main risks associated with travelling, also taking into consideration the kind of trip (health risks related to environment, accidents, traumas, and violence, potential risks of infectious diseases).