Resolving the tension between full utilization of contact tracing app services and user stress as an effort to control the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Although contact tracing apps can be effective for controlling COVID-19, the app usage can be stressful for users. This study identifies countermeasures for users' stress while maximizing full utilization of the apps. This study presents the relationships among the stress factors, users' appraisal, users' emotion focus coping, and the infusion to exert the full potential of the app through a structural equation model. The research model is validated by surveying Health Code app users. Given the results of the study, the contact tracing apps could become a valuable tool to control COVID-19 by removing app users' privacy concerns.

The survival of hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic: a critical case study in Vietnam

“…The government also traced and separated those that had been in contact with a confirmed case. There were various levels of quarantine (Joo and Shin 2020 ). Specifically, people were medically tested and if a person was found to be positive with COVID-19, they would be labeled as “F0.” Anyone who had been in contact with them would be “F1” and people who had been in contact with F1 were categorized as “F2.” These individuals had to respect the social-distancing rules and self-isolate at quarantine centers or at home depending on their category levels (e.g., which is also known as institutional quarantine) (Vu and Tran 2020 ).…”

“…The government also traced and separated those that had been in contact with a confirmed case. There were various levels of quarantine (Joo and Shin 2020). Specifically, people were medically tested and if a person was found to be positive with COVID-19, they would be labeled as "F0."…”

Implementing Public Health Strategies—The Need for Educational Initiatives: A Systematic Review

“…Irrespective of all quality controls and information that may eliminate misconceptions, an improvement in psychology and an increase in the understanding of app utilization should be the first steps in using any apps, including contact tracing apps. Moreover, consumers should be educated regarding the content, benefits, and harms of these apps [69,70]. This approach would increase the perceived usefulness and ease of use but also indirectly increase the awareness of individuals in detecting new threats.…”

A study on factors affecting privacy risk tolerance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in South Korea

“…Although the tracking and disclosure of movement records have contributed to flattening the curve and providing timely medical service ( Government of the Republic of Korea, 2020b ), concerns about privacy infringement have also been raised ( Government of the Republic of Korea, 2020a ; Joo & Shin, 2020 ; Zastrow, 2020 ). Although personally identifiable information is not made public ( Government of the Republic of Korea, 2020a ), quite a lot of information about confirmed cases is floating around on the internet ( Zastrow, 2020 ) and some are trying to connect the dots and identify confirmed cases ( Kim & Denyer, 2020 ).…”