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By incorporating expertise from 9 university hospitals and external partners, COMPASS provided a modular approach to pandemic app development that balances technology, regulation, and public acceptance. The framework includes governance, best practices, compliance, research compatibility, interoperability, and a scalable technology platform. In addition, standardized app components and templates were created to support an effective pandemic response. Real-world validation was provided by study-specific apps such as the Mainz Gutenberg Study COVID-19 app (University Medical Center Mainz) and the SentiSurv app (University Medical Center Mainz), which generated nearly 1 million data points from over 25,000 participants. COMPASS successfully developed study-specific apps, improved core functionalities, and contributed to larger digital health projects such as the InnovationHub CAEHR. Beyond its immediate applications, COMPASS serves as a scalable blueprint for future mobile health solutions, with a focus on data protection, user trust, and open-source collaboration. By integrating important technological, ethical, and user-oriented considerations, it sets a new standard for digital health innovation and ensures sustainable and widely accepted pandemic preparedness.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2196\/63920","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,14]],"date-time":"2025-10-14T12:25:34Z","timestamp":1760444734000},"page":"e63920-e63920","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Coordination on Mobile Pandemic Apps Best Practice and Solution Sharing (COMPASS) Framework: Holistic Approach to Pandemic mHealth Apps"],"prefix":"10.2196","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6243-9076","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christian","family":"Elsner","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2561-7923","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michael","family":"Winter","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4137-3199","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Peter","family":"Gocke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1522-785X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"R\u00fcdiger","family":"Pryss","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7238-5339","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dagmar","family":"Krefting","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1010","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"R1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"514","DOI":"10.5811\/westjem.2020.4.47372","article-title":"15 smartphone apps for older adults to use while in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"21","author":"Banskota","journal-title":"West J Emerg Med"},{"issue":"8","key":"R2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1807","DOI":"10.1093\/jamia\/ocab066","article-title":"Informatics for public health and health system collaboration: applications for the control of the current COVID-19 pandemic and the next one","volume":"28","author":"Lenert","journal-title":"J Am Med Inform Assoc"},{"key":"R3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Borra S . 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