Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36301881›Full record

ArticlePloS one2022

The relationship between trust and attitudes towards the COVID-19 digital contact-tracing app in the UK.

Liz Dowthwaite, Hanne Gesine Wagner, Camilla May Babbage, Joel E Fischer, Pepita Barnard, Elena Nichele, Elvira Perez Vallejos, Jeremie Clos, Virginia Portillo, Derek McAuley

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Liz DowthwaiteHorizon Digital Economy Research, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-9269-2849
Hanne Gesine WagnerHorizon Digital Economy Research, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom.
Camilla May BabbageNIHR MindTech MedTech Co-operative, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-6337-3352
Joel E FischerMixed Reality Lab, School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Pepita BarnardHorizon Digital Economy Research, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom.
Elena NicheleHorizon Digital Economy Research, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-0755-1342
Elvira Perez VallejosDivision of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, Nottingham University, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Jeremie ClosSchool of Computer Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom.
Virginia PortilloHorizon Digital Economy Research, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom.
Derek McAuleyHorizon Digital Economy Research, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-9159-9933

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, digital contact-tracing has been employed in many countries to monitor and manage the spread of the disease. However, to be effective such a system must be adopted by a substantial proportion of the population; therefore, public trust plays a key role. This paper examines the NHS COVID-19 smartphone app, the digital contact-tracing solution in the UK. A series of interviews were carried out prior to the app's release (n = 12) and a large scale survey examining attitudes towards the app (n = 1,001) was carried out after release. Extending previous work reporting high level attitudes towards the app, this paper shows that prevailing negative attitudes prior to release persisted, and affected the subsequent use of the app. They also show significant relationships between trust, app features, and the wider social and societal context. There is lower trust amongst non-users of the app and trust correlates to many other aspects of the app, a lack of trust could hinder adoption and effectiveness of digital contact-tracing. The design of technology requiring wide uptake, e.g., for public health, should embed considerations of the complexities of trust and the context in which the technology will be used.

Indexed as

COVID-19Mobile ApplicationsContact TracingHumansPandemicsSARS-CoV-2TrustUnited Kingdom

Identifiers

PMID36301881
PMCPMC9612492

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.