Exploring the perceptions of athletes and DCOs on the remote sampling procedure in anti-doping testing: shifting control to burden.

Introduction: The approach of remotely collecting anti-doping samples from athletes by utilizing a Remote Sampling System (RSS) presents a technological innovation in anti-doping work, offering a potential solution to the logistical limitations of traditional in-person testing. Even though the implementation decision obliges Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs), successful implementation hinges on whether athletes as the key stakeholders of anti-doping work perceive an RSS as legitimate. Furthermore, the perceptions of DCOs who are the key users operating an RSS and having to adapt to new sample collection procedures are largely unexplored. This study adopted an exploratory qualitative design to investigate the perceptions of athletes and DCOs. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 elite athletes and 22 professional DCOs. Data were analyzed using template analysis to identify their key themes and considerations associated with procedural steps of remote sampling applied in anti-doping testing. Results: Our findings reveal challenges in user-system integration, which we conceptualize as a shift from DCO control to athlete burden. For athletes, the transfer of specific sample-handling responsibilities inherent to the remote sampling procedure is perceived as an unjust burden of personal risk, logistical effort, and procedural anxiety. Key concerns include the management of test kits and the liabilities associated with taking responsibility for unobserved sample shipment. Conversely, DCOs interpret this transfer as a critical loss of control over procedural integrity and professional oversight, focusing on the inability to uphold an unbroken chain of custody. Discussion: The study concludes that RSS implementation is not merely a technological challenge but one of trust management that must consider user perceptions and concerns on how remote sampling can be designed as a legitimate procedure of anti-doping work. It must reconcile the shift from control to burden by simultaneously mitigating the athletes' burden while empowering DCOs with reliable tools, enabling them in their role as guarantors of anti-doping testing's procedural integrity. These insights provide actionable recommendations for anti-doping organizations to pilot new remote sampling protocols that are not only efficient but also perceived as legitimate, trustworthy, and effective.