Abstract
3 MyCOVIDrisk: User Experience Study Of COVID-19 Risk Assessment and Mitigation Application

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2021.07.004Get rights and content

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Background

MyCOVIDRisk app is a free, publicly available COVID-19 risk estimation and mitigation tool. The MyCOVIDRisk app has since been accessed almost 1.3 million times since launch, demonstrating the acceptability of a free and simple web-based mobile application to estimate risk of COVID-19 transmission. Little is known about how mobile apps influence assessments of risk. User experience (“UX”) studies are a key strategy for examining usability and influence of digital technology.

Study Objectives

Our primary objectives were to (1) describe how the app informs interpretation of COVID-19 risk, (2) describe motivations for use and patterns of use, (3) to inform future app design.

Methods

This UX study consisted of two parts. Part 1 focused on new users’ experiences, particularly navigation of the user interface across various operating systems and devices. Part 2 focused on repeat users’ experiences, particularly how they interpreted risk, what motivated their use of the app, and whether it modified behavior. Participants were recruited remotely via social media advertisements on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. To reach existing users, Part 2 additionally included emailing

Results

Recruitment continued until thematic saturation was reached. Part 1 and Part 2 included 8 and 5 unique participants, respectively. Participants varied in terms of background (age range: 21-73 years), geography, prior use of the app, and goals of usage. Key use cases were as a teaching tool, source of authority and objectivity, and resource for personal decisionmaking (Fig 1). Nearly all pointed to simplicity and ease of use as key design strengths. Repeat users highlighted the interactive

Conclusion

This UX testing of a COVID-19 risk assessment and mitigation app confirmed key principles for design: clear imagery, interactivity, and interpretable science. Future work should incorporate new data in real-time and improve customizability.

Figure 1. Primary cases for MyCOVIDRisk app based on interview responses from repeat users.

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