October 30, 2019
The Global Birth Defects Description and Coding (GBDDC) app has just been released today. This first of its kind app provides images and definitions of major externally visible birth defects with ICD codes, in addition to videos on the examination of newborns, information on Congenital Zika Syndrome as well as a few other syndromes.
Experts from nine countries and many global agencies contributed to this international project, led by ZikaPLAN members from Ulster University working in the Disease Burden and Risk Assessment group. The project is funded by the European Union through the ZikaPLAN grant (No 734584).
The app is being released first in its Basic Version, designed to facilitate accurate description and coding of birth defects and targeting teachers and healthcare workers who want to improve their knowledge about birth defects. This innovative training tool organizes information in an intuitive way and provides pathways to distinguish between similar malformations.
In spring 2020, an enhanced Surveillance Version will be released. It will enable healthcare workers in limited resource settings to record surveillance data and improve their birth defects surveillance by providing diagnostic resources that can interface with and support their surveillance systems. Information can be uploaded from the phone/tablet to a secure server and downloaded by the local, regional, or national surveillance system’s data center.
The app can be downloaded from the Apple Store and Google Play and a guide for installing, registering, and using the Basic Version of the app is available at the Global Birth Defects website. The website also offers a comprehensive resource inventory and information about birth defects surveillance. For additional information, don’t hesitate to contact the team: globalbirthdefects@tghn.org.