Analysis of the factors affecting the adoption and compliance of the NHS COVID-19 mobile application: a national cross-sectional survey in England

Abstract

ObjectivesTo conduct an independent study investigating how adults perceive the usability and functionality of the ‘National Health Service (NHS) COVID-19’ application (app). This study aims to highlight strengths and provide recommendations to improve adoption of future contact tracing developments.DesignA 60-item, anonymous online questionnaire, disseminated through social media outlets and email lists by a team from Imperial College London.SettingEngland.ParticipantsConvenience sample of 1036 responses, from participants aged 18 years and above, between December 2020 and January 2021.Primary outcome measuresEvaluate the compliance and public attitude towards the ‘NHS COVID-19’ app regarding its functionality and features. This included whether participants’ expectations were met, and their thoughts on the app privacy and security. Furthermore, to distinguish how usability, perception, and adoption differed with varying demographics and user values.ResultsFair compliance with the app features was identified, meeting expectations of the 62.1% of participants who stated they downloaded it after weighted analysis. However, participants finding the interface challenging were less likely to read information in the app and had a lesser understanding of its functionality. Furthermore, little understanding regarding the app’s functionality and privacy concerns was a possible reason why users did not download it. A readability analysis of the text revealed information within the app was conveyed at a level that may be too complex for up to 43% of the UK population. The study highlighted issues related to the potential of false positives caused by the design choices in the ‘Check-In’ feature.ConclusionThis study showed that while the ‘NHS COVID-19’ app was viewed positively, there remained issues regarding participants’ perceived knowledge of app functionality, potentially affecting compliance. Therefore, we recommended improvements regarding the delivery and presentation of the app’s information, and highlighted the potential need for the ability to check out of venues to reduce the number of false positive contacts.

Widening or narrowing inequalities? The equity implications of digital tools to support COVID‐19 contact tracing: A qualitative study

“…51 Several studies reported on the public's concerns about data privacy and whether data would be shared with other organizations. [32][33][34] Participants in our study appeared to be reassured about data privacy, as the data are held under the governance framework of NHS Scotland, which is generally regarded as a trustworthy organization.…”

Evaluation of the Patient Experience with the Mawid App during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia

“…Another study conducted in the United States found that the MyCOVIDKey app was a useful tool for COVID-19 contact tracing, but it needed simple modifications to improve usability [ 32 ]. Similarly, in a study carried out in England, participants viewed the NHS COVID-19 app positively [ 33 ]. However, the respondents considered that the interface was challenging, difficult, and complex.…”

“…However, the respondents considered that the interface was challenging, difficult, and complex. They thought that these factors would limit its use by the UK population (79) [ 33 ].…”

Measuring the Success of PeduliLindungi Application Use for Supporting COVID-19 Prevention: A Case Study among College Students in Jakarta, Indonesia

“…25 This figure is greater than the COVID-19 contact-tracing apps in Japan (21.3%) but lower than the NHS COVID-19 mobile apps in the United Kingdom (84.1%). 26,27 According to study in Germany, offering incentives improved the adoption of a COVID-19 contact-tracing apps. 28 This study showed that most respondents used the PL 25 One of influential factors on the frequency of the apps by respondents while visiting public facilities is strict monitoring by officers on duty.…”

“…However, insufficient knowledge of the aapps's functionality and privacy concerns may influence their decision not to use it. 27 Respondents also considered that the information generated by the apps was unreliable. Accord ing to one study, the zone information status displays different information if used on two separate devices in the same region.…”