Investigating Trust and Adoption of Contact Tracing for Mitigating the Spread of COVID-19

自2019年12月报告首例COVID-19病例以来，它一直在世界范围内迅速传播，导致全球范围内前所未有的大流行。虽然公众一直在通过保持身体距离来应对这种疾病，但全球卫生机构和政府正在寻找有效的战略来减缓传播和抗击COVID-19。3月24日，特鲁多总理表示，加拿大可能有兴趣追踪加拿大人的位置，或追踪接触者，以确保他们遵守保持距离的规定，特别是在旅行归来或被感染时。然而，由于隐私问题，这种数据收集似乎具有挑战性。因此，接触者追踪的概念并未得到认可，对不信任的恐惧可能意味着这种减轻传播的方法可能无效。我们建议研究大规模采用接触者追踪的必要因素。特别是，我们建议设计一个应用程序来帮助调查信任和可扩展采用的问题。通过应用众所周知的模型，如技术接受模型（TAM）和有效沟通方法，包括数据视频，我们将研究加拿大人对接触追踪的看法，以及这些观点如何随着时间的推移而变化。我们将进一步研究接触者追踪对决策的影响。需要认真探讨有效缓解战略与公众信任之间的双重联系，因为这可能有助于在加拿大和正在确定引进这类技术的方法的国家成功采用接触者追踪应用。

Since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in December 2019, it has been spreading rapidly across the world leading to a global and unprecedented pandemic. While the public has been tackling this disease through physical-distancing, health agencies and governments around the globe are searching for effective strategies to mitigate the spread and combat COVID-19. On March 24th, Prime Minister Trudeau expressed Canada's potential interest in tracking Canadians' locations, or contact tracing, to ensure they are following distancing rules, particularly upon returning from travels or when infected. However, such data collection appears challenging because of privacy issues. Consequently, the concept of contact tracing has not appeared favorably and the fear of mistrust may mean that such a method to mitigate the spread might not be effective. We propose to investigate the necessary elements for adoption of contact tracing at large scale. In particular, we propose to design an app to help investigate questions of trust and scalable adoption. Through the application of well known models, such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and methods for effective communication, including Data Videos, we will study Canadians' perspectives towards contact tracing and how these perspectives change over time. We furthermore will examine the impact of contact tracing on decision making. The dual link between effective mitigation strategies and public trust need to be critically explored as it may enable for the successful adoption of contact tracing applications in Canada, and in countries that are identifying means to introduce such technologies.