JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in the context of previous epidemic diseases, mobile apps for smartphones were developed with different goals and functions, such as digital contact tracing, test management, symptom monitoring, quarantine compliance and epidemiological and public health research.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to explore the potential for the acceptance of research orientated apps (ROA) in the German population. To this end, we identified distinctive attitudes towards pandemic apps and data sharing for research purposes among smartphone users in general and with a focus on differences in attitudes between app users and non-users in particular.

Methods:

We conducted a representative national telephone-based survey of 1003 adults in Germany, of which 924 were useable for statistical analysis. The 17-item survey assessed current usage of pandemic apps, motivations for using or not using pandemic apps, trust in app distributors and attitudes toward data handling (data storage and transmission), willingness to share coded data with researchers using a pandemic app, social attitude toward app use, and demographic and personal characteristics.

Results:

A vast majority stated to use a smartphone 84.2% (778/924), but less than half of the participants stated to use a pandemic app (326/778, 41.9%). The study focused on the sub sample of smartphone users. Interestingly, when asked about preferred organizations for data storage and app distribution, trust in governmental (federal or state government, regional health office), public-appointed (statutory health insurance) or government-funded organizations (research institutes) was much higher than in private organizations (private research institutions, clinics, health insurances, IT companies). Having a university degree significantly (P<.001) increased the likelihood of using a pandemic app, while having a migration background significantly (P<.001) decreased it. The overwhelming majority (653/778, 83.9%) of smartphone users were willing to provide their app data for state-funded research. Regarding attitudes towards app usage, striking differences between users and non-users were found. 96.9% (317/326) of app users stated to be willing to share data, whereas only 74.3% (336/452) of non-users supported data sharing via app. Two thirds of app users fully or rather agreed with the statement that using a pandemic app is a social duty, whereas almost the same proportion of non-users fully or rather disagreed with that statement (263/452, 61%).

Conclusions:

These findings indicate a high potential of the adoption of research orientated apps in Germany among smartphone users as long as organizational providers engaged in development, operation and distribution are state-funded or governmental institutions and transparency about data using research institutions is provided.