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Abstract
BackgroundContact tracing apps are an essential component of an effective COVID-19 testing strategy to counteract the spread of the pandemic and thereby avoid overburdening the health care system. As the adoption rates in several regions are undesirable, governments must increase the acceptance of COVID-19 tracing apps in these times of uncertainty.ObjectiveBuilding on the Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT), this study aims to investigate how uncertainty reduction measures foster the adoption of COVID-19 tracing apps and how their use affects the perception of different risks.MethodsRepresentative survey data were gathered at two measurement points (before and after the app’s release) and analyzed by performing covariance-based structural equation modeling (n=1003).ResultsWe found that uncertainty reduction measures in the form of the transparency dimensions disclosure and accuracy, as well as social influence and trust in government, foster the adoption process. The use of the COVID-19 tracing app in turn reduced the perceived privacy and performance risks but did not reduce social risks and health-related COVID-19 concerns.ConclusionsThis study contributes to the mass adoption of health care technology and URT research by integrating interactive communication measures and transparency as a multidimensional concept to reduce different types of uncertainty over time. Furthermore, our results help to derive communication strategies to promote the mass adoption of COVID-19 tracing apps, thus detecting infection chains and allowing intelligent COVID-19 testing.
Highlights
BackgroundAt the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, people, organizations, and governments worldwide were plunged into uncertainty [1], leading to changes in everyday behavior [2,3]
We argue that initial trust in a COVID-19 tracing app is influenced by transparency and trust in government, but is affected by social influence
There was support for H3a (β=.377; P
Summary
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, people, organizations, and governments worldwide were plunged into uncertainty [1], leading to changes in everyday behavior [2,3]. Fighting the pandemic effectively is a complex challenge, since limited resources in the health care system and restrictions in everyday life need to be considered simultaneously [7,8]. When there is no widely available appropriate vaccine, testing, contact tracing, and isolation are considered to be the most essential measures against COVID-19 [9,10]. Contact tracing apps are an essential component of an effective COVID-19 testing strategy to counteract the spread of the pandemic and thereby avoid overburdening the health care system. As the adoption rates in several regions are undesirable, governments must increase the acceptance of COVID-19 tracing apps in these times of uncertainty
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