Leveraging the Medical Consultation App "LEBER" for COVID-19 Prevention

Following the lifting of the state of emergency nationwide, most elementary and junior high schools have resumed classes, with many educational facilities implementing temperature recording and health check-ins.

Tsukuba City and Tsukubamirai City in Ibaraki Prefecture are requesting guardians of children and students to measure their temperature at home and report it to the school. Starting June 8, both municipalities introduced "LEBER for School," which enables temperature and health management using the smartphone app "LEBER." This system allows data to be automatically transmitted from home to educational institutions and class administrators without the need for paper forms or manual handovers.

"LEBER for School" combines recording of temperature measurements with simple health status reporting, and the entered results are automatically sent to the educational institution. A push notification is sent every morning to prompt temperature measurement, so there is no need to worry about forgetting to enter the data.

School faculty and staff will no longer need to compile individual temperature and health information on paper. Additionally, they can grasp the overall trends of the groups they manage, such as classes, through graphs. While many schools conduct temperature checks after students arrive, this not only increases the workload for staff but also helps prevent cluster infections at educational facilities if students with fevers refrain from attending school. The introduction of "LEBER for School" is expected to contribute to the prevention of infectious disease spread.

■ Medical Consultation App Also Available Free of Charge
By installing the medical consultation app "LEBER" to use "LEBER for School," users can also consult with doctors about their family's medical and health concerns. In cases where symptoms such as fever persist and there is a suspicion of COVID-19 infection, users can search for nearby medical institutions and receive advice from doctors on the correct procedures, such as visiting a clinic or contacting the public health center or a dedicated consultation service.

Through a joint project with Ibaraki Prefecture, residents of Ibaraki Prefecture can use medical consultations free of charge until September 30 of this year (normally ¥120-¥610 per consultation). Additionally, a campaign offering free medical consultations nationwide is currently underway, limited to approximately 40,000 consultations on a first-come, first-served basis.

The number of doctors available for medical consultations has been expanded to over 270. The service has also obtained a Privacy Mark, ensuring thorough protection of personal information. AGREE Inc. has established a robust system for family registration for approximately 26,000 children and students in both municipalities and plans to promptly respond to requests from other local governments.

■ "LEBER for School" Operation Procedure
• Install the app on an iOS or Android smartphone
• Scan the QR code distributed by the school
• Enter personal profile information (name, height, weight, etc.)
• Enter temperature and time of measurement
• Answer simple questions about health status, in accordance with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's recommended "Health Observation Sheet for Novel Coronavirus Infections, etc."
• Data is automatically sent to the educational institution

■ About LEBER
LEBER is an app that allows users to consult with doctors via smartphone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Currently, over 270 doctors are registered, enabling users to easily consult with physicians through the app, especially those who may find it difficult to visit hospitals or clinics due to self-restraint measures. Since April 9, 2020, AGREE Inc. has been providing free medical consultation services through LEBER to residents of Ibaraki Prefecture as a joint project with the prefecture.

■ How to Use LEBER
① Simple automated diagnosis via chatbot (multiple-choice format, takes 3 minutes)
② Fastest response from a doctor in 1 minute (receive advice on recommended over-the-counter medications, appropriate clinics to visit for symptoms, and self-care measures)
③ Self-care support (doctors provide concrete guidance, such as visiting nearby medical institutions or purchasing over-the-counter medications at drugstores)

■ About AGREE Inc.
AGREE Inc. was founded in February 2017 with the aim of providing remote medical consultation services. Guided by the belief of "Anytime. Anywhere. For everyone.," the company strives to ensure that appropriate medical care is accessible to all people.

〈Company Profile〉
Company Name: AGREE Inc.
Location: 1155-2 Takano, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture
Representative: Shunichiro Ito
Established: February 2017
Business Activities: Planning, development, and operation of applications