A UnitedHealth Group digital tool that enables organizations to gauge predicted outcomes of COVID-19 testing approaches on their populations helped guide a Washington, D.C., school's testing program, according to a new study.
Published early in September, the study points to a partnership between UnitedHealth Group and the school, which included over 1,100 students and staff, according to the study. The school used the tool to implement a pooled testing program, which provides a single test result for a group of people based on proximity and social relationships.
The calculator primarily targets schools, nursing homes or other institutions that have populations that regularly interact with each other, according to the tool's frequently asked questions page.
Focusing on populations below 15,000 people, the calculator compares four testing options alongside no testing, then allows users to choose testing frequency, amount of contact the population has with the outside community, and if daily symptoms are also tracked.