Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

• Committee Chair Name & Credentials:
  Bette Moore, PhD
• Committee Member Name & Credentials:
  Jessica Walker, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC

DNP Project Abstract

Using a Survey of End User Perceptions to Develop COVID-19 Digital Contact Tracing Mobile Phone Application Guidelines

Purpose
The purpose of this project was to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for digital contact tracing and to identify and analyze acceptability, perceptions, and barriers to using a digital contact tracing app with organizational leaders who perform COVID-19 testing.  These results plus an updated literature review were used to update the CPG.

Methods
This project utilized a quality improvement approach incorporating the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model to translate best evidence into practice. A CPG was created based on a literature review to provide guidelines for digital contact tracing. Then, 43 organizational leaders in New England who performed COVID-19 testing were surveyed about their perceptions and barriers to using a digital contact tracing app.

Results
Fifty-seven percent of organizational leaders said they would download a contact tracing app. The main reasons they would download the app were to protect themselves and others. The main reasons they would not download the app were related to privacy and security concerns. Organizational leaders also added that more members of their organization would download the app if it was mandated. The CPG was updated to include features suggested by organization leaders to make the app more user friendly. The literature review was also updated and nearby COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites were added. The CPG was updated with a new section that lists the relative importance of each feature to the organization leaders, based on the survey results.

Implications for Practice
This project summarizes the perceptions, attitudes, and barriers of organization leaders towards digital contact tracing and provides a comprehensive CPG on digital contact tracing that organizations and public health departments can use to help choose a digital contact tracing app for COVID-19.