Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
Date Submitted: Apr 28, 2021
Date Accepted: Oct 26, 2021
Date Submitted to PubMed: Dec 7, 2021
Use of Venn Diagrams to Evaluate Digital Contact Tracing: Results from a Panel Survey Analysis
ABSTRACT
Background:
Mitigation of pandemic spread relies on targeted approaches aimed at preventing non-household interactions. Contact tracing in the form of digital proximity tracing (DPT) apps has been widely adopted in multiple countries due to its perceived added benefits of tracing speed and breadth in comparison to traditional manual contact tracing (MCT). Assessments of user responses to exposure notifications (ENs) through a guided approach can provide insights into the effect of DPT app use on managing the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to introduce an approach based on Venn diagrams to investigate the contribution of DPT app ENs and subsequent mitigative actions towards curbing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We apply this approach to nationwide panel data on DPT app use and associated mitigative actions in Switzerland.
Methods:
We assessed data from four survey waves (December 2020 to March 2021) from the COVID-19 Social Monitor, a nationwide panel study of Swiss residents that classified as (a) non-users of the SwissCovid app, (b) users of the SwissCovid app and (c) users of the SwissCovid app who received ENs. A Venn diagram approach was applied to describe the (non-)overlap of these subpopulations and to assess DPT app use and its associated key performance indicators, including actions taken to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
Results:
We included 12’525 assessments from 2’403 participants. From our cohort, 50.9% (1’222/2’403) of the respondents reported not using the SwissCovid DPT app, 49.1% (1’181/2’403) reported using the SwissCovid DPT app and 2.5% (29/1’181) of the DPT app users reported having received an EN. Most DPT app users (75.9%, 22/29) revealed taking at least one recommended action after receiving ENs, including seeking SARS-CoV-2 testing (17/29, 58.6%) and/or calling a federal information hotline (7/29, 24.1%). An assessment of key indicators of mitigative actions through the Venn diagram approach reveals that 30% of DPT app users (95% CI: 11.9-54.3%) also tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 following the receipt of ENs, which is over three times more than DPT app users who did not receive ENs (8.0%, 95% CI: 5.0-11.9%).
Conclusions:
Responses from three out of four individuals to ENs reveal a possible contribution of DPT apps to users taking mitigative actions to limit SARS-CoV-2 spread. The application of the Venn diagram approach demonstrates its value as a foundation for researchers and health authorities to assess population-level DPT app effectiveness by providing an intuitive approach for calculating key performance indicators.
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