Archive | 2021
Analysis of the Factors Affecting the Adoption and Compliance of the NHS COVID-19 Mobile Application
Abstract
Objectives: To conduct an independent study investigating how adults perceive the usability, and functionality of the NHS COVID-19 app. This study aims to highlight strengths, and provide recommendations to improve adoption of future contact tracing developments. Design, Setting, and Participants: 1036 adults in England and Wales completed a 60-item, web-based observational survey. This survey was disseminated through social media outlets and email-lists. Primary Outcome Measures: To evaluate the compliance and public attitude towards the NHS COVID-19 app, regarding its functionality and main features. This included whether participants expectations were met, and their thoughts on the privacy and security of app data. Furthermore, to distinguish how usability, perception, and adoption differed with varying demographics and user values. Results: Fair rates of app compliance were identified across participants, with the app meeting the expectation of 59.7% of participants who downloaded it. However, participants finding the interface challenging were less likely to read information in the app and had a lesser understanding of its functionality. Furthermore, lack of understanding regarding the apps functionality and privacy preserving features were behind the reasons why users did not download it. A readability analysis of the text revealed that the information of the app was conveyed at a level which might only be accessible to under 60% of the population. The study highlighted issues related to the high probability of false positives caused by the design choices in the Check-In feature. Conclusion: This study showed that while the NHS COVID-19 app was viewed positively, however, there remained issues regarding participants perceived knowledge of the app with privacy and functionality, which appeared to affect compliance. Therefore, we have recommended improvements regarding the delivery and presentation of the apps information, and highlighted the potential need for the ability to check out of venues to reduce the number of false positive contacts.