What makes people install a COVID-19 contact-tracing app? Understanding the influence of app design and individual difference on contact-tracing app adoption intention

Li, Tianshi; Cobb, Camille; Yang, Jackie; Baviskar, Sagar; Agarwal, Yuvraj; Li, Beibei; Bauer, Lujo; Hong, Jason I.

doi:10.1016/j.pmcj.2021.101439

Cited by 64 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…One of the key factors in the acceptance of contact-tracing via smartphone apps is privacy concerns ( Li et al., 2021 ). People generally strive to protect their private life from any attempts at interference.…”

Section: Contact-tracing Apps: Public Acceptancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another line of research suggests that risk perception of COVID-19 is associated with the adoption of preventive behaviors against the disease ( Dryhurst et al., 2020 ). Particularly relevant in this context is that COVID-19 risk perception correlates positively with the intention to use contact-tracing apps ( Li et al., 2021 ). Risk perception of extreme events like COVID-19 has cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions.…”

Section: Contact-tracing Apps: Public Acceptancementioning

confidence: 99%

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I use a COVID-19 contact-tracing app. Do you? Regulatory focus and the intention to engage with contact-tracing technology

Ross

2021

International Journal of Information Management Data Insights

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Based on regulatory focus theory, it is proposed that there is a relationship between the intention to use COVID-19 contact-tracing apps and goal-directed motivation. Two studies tested this proposal. Study 1 examined the relationship between participants’ chronic regulatory focus and the intention to use contact-tracing apps. Apps usage intention was positively associated with prevention focus. A mediation analysis showed that the relationship between prevention focus and apps usage intention was mediated by privacy and information security concerns. The stronger the prevention focus, the weaker the concerns, thus, the stronger the intention to use contact-tracing apps. Study 2 used priming to have participants adopt either a momentary promotion or prevention focus, after which they were asked about their intention to use contact-tracing apps. A situationally induced regulatory focus influenced the intention to use contact-tracing apps. A moderation analysis showed that age moderated the relationship between regulatory focus and apps usage intention.

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Section: Contact-tracing Apps: Public Acceptancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Contact-tracing Apps: Public Acceptancementioning

confidence: 99%

I use a COVID-19 contact-tracing app. Do you? Regulatory focus and the intention to engage with contact-tracing technology

Ross

2021

International Journal of Information Management Data Insights

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“…First, generalization will be limited to the adult population living or working in the canton of Geneva. Second, adoption and utilization of the @choum tool might suffer from a participation bias, as attitudes toward digital COVID-19 public health tools such as contact tracing apps vary among sociodemographic groups [ 64 , 65 ]. However, we developed and implemented several strategies to foster participation across sociodemographic groups and ensure user retention.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of Spatiotemporal Clusters of COVID-19–Associated Symptoms and Prevention Using a Participatory Surveillance App: Protocol for the @choum Study

Ridder¹,

Loizeau²,

Sandoval³

et al. 2021

JMIR Res Protoc

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Background The early detection of clusters of infectious diseases such as the SARS-CoV-2–related COVID-19 disease can promote timely testing recommendation compliance and help to prevent disease outbreaks. Prior research revealed the potential of COVID-19 participatory syndromic surveillance systems to complement traditional surveillance systems. However, most existing systems did not integrate geographic information at a local scale, which could improve the management of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Objective The aim of this study is to detect active and emerging spatiotemporal clusters of COVID-19–associated symptoms, and to examine (a posteriori) the association between the clusters’ characteristics and sociodemographic and environmental determinants. Methods This report presents the methodology and development of the @choum (English: “achoo”) study, evaluating an epidemiological digital surveillance tool to detect and prevent clusters of individuals (target sample size, N=5000), aged 18 years or above, with COVID-19–associated symptoms living and/or working in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland. The tool is a 5-minute survey integrated into a free and secure mobile app (CoronApp-HUG). Participants are enrolled through a comprehensive communication campaign conducted throughout the 12-month data collection phase. Participants register to the tool by providing electronic informed consent and nonsensitive information (gender, age, geographically masked addresses). Symptomatic participants can then report COVID-19–associated symptoms at their onset (eg, symptoms type, test date) by tapping on the @choum button. Those who have not yet been tested are offered the possibility to be informed on their cluster status (information returned by daily automated clustering analysis). At each participation step, participants are redirected to the official COVID-19 recommendations websites. Geospatial clustering analyses are performed using the modified space-time density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (MST-DBSCAN) algorithm. Results The study began on September 1, 2020, and will be completed on February 28, 2022. Multiple tests performed at various time points throughout the 5-month preparation phase have helped to improve the tool’s user experience and the accuracy of the clustering analyses. A 1-month pilot study performed among 38 pharmacists working in 7 Geneva-based pharmacies confirmed the proper functioning of the tool. Since the tool’s launch to the entire population of Geneva on February 11, 2021, data are being collected and clusters are being carefully monitored. The primary study outcomes are expected to be published in mid-2022. Conclusions The @choum study evaluates an innovative participatory epidemiological digital surveillance tool to detect and prevent clusters of COVID-19–associated symptoms. @choum collects precise geographic information while protecting the user’s privacy by using geomasking methods. By providing an evidence base to inform citizens and local authorities on areas potentially facing a high COVID-19 burden, the tool supports the targeted allocation of public health resources and promotes testing. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/30444

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“…Figure 8 shows a hypothetical interface for incorporating social location monitoring to motivate beneficial behaviors (eg, avoiding hot spots, social distancing, and wearing a mask). In a recent study, Li et al [ 54 ] found that respondents were more willing to install contact tracing apps that collect users’ location data than those that do not, due to the additional benefits they provide about hot spot information and analysis. Social location monitoring can help local authorities allocate resources in a better way and enact better health care policies during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 55 ].…”

Section: Incorporating Persuasive Design In Exposure Notification Appsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing Better Exposure Notification Apps: The Role of Persuasive Design

Oyibo¹,

Morita²

2021

JMIR Public Health Surveill

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Background Digital contact tracing apps have been deployed worldwide to limit the spread of COVID-19 during this pandemic and to facilitate the lifting of public health restrictions. However, due to privacy-, trust-, and design-related issues, the apps are yet to be widely adopted. This calls for an intervention to enable a critical mass of users to adopt them. Objective The aim of this paper is to provide guidelines to design contact tracing apps as persuasive technologies to make them more appealing and effective. Methods We identified the limitations of the current contact tracing apps on the market using the Government of Canada’s official exposure notification app (COVID Alert) as a case study. Particularly, we identified three interfaces in the COVID Alert app where the design can be improved. The interfaces include the no exposure status interface, exposure interface, and diagnosis report interface. We propose persuasive technology design guidelines to make them more motivational and effective in eliciting the desired behavior change. Results Apart from trust and privacy concerns, we identified the minimalist and nonmotivational design of exposure notification apps as the key design-related factors that contribute to the current low uptake. We proposed persuasive strategies such as self-monitoring of daily contacts and exposure time to make the no exposure and exposure interfaces visually appealing and motivational. Moreover, we proposed social learning, praise, and reward to increase the diagnosis report interface’s effectiveness. Conclusions We demonstrated that exposure notification apps can be designed as persuasive technologies by incorporating key persuasive features, which have the potential to improve uptake, use, COVID-19 diagnosis reporting, and compliance with social distancing guidelines.

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What makes people install a COVID-19 contact-tracing app? Understanding the influence of app design and individual difference on contact-tracing app adoption intention

Cited by 64 publications

References 39 publications

I use a COVID-19 contact-tracing app. Do you? Regulatory focus and the intention to engage with contact-tracing technology

I use a COVID-19 contact-tracing app. Do you? Regulatory focus and the intention to engage with contact-tracing technology

Detection of Spatiotemporal Clusters of COVID-19–Associated Symptoms and Prevention Using a Participatory Surveillance App: Protocol for the @choum Study

Designing Better Exposure Notification Apps: The Role of Persuasive Design

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