Table 1.
Major topics identified in the selected articles.
| Group | Name | Item number | Topic | Media reportsa |
| A | Communication | A1 | Need for optimization of app error messages |
#22, #28, #53 |
|
|
|
A2 | Communication concerning DPTb usage, privacy, and benefits could be improved | #10, #32 |
|
|
|
A3 | Unmet communication needs by some participants in the notification cascade, such as cantonal health authorities or physicians | #29, #14 |
| B | Interfaces and processes | B1 | Delays in CovidCode generation | #2, #8, #14, #17 |
|
|
|
B2 | Unclear connection between infoline and cantonal health authorities | #20 |
|
|
|
B3 | Legal hurdles for cantonal physicians to order a mandatory quarantine based on app notification | #29 |
|
|
|
B4 | Following a change of testing criteria, some confusion about procedures for obtaining free PCRc test upon app notification | #14 |
|
|
|
B5 | Interference with work, such as nurses with proximity contacts to patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 | #61, #35 |
| C | Competition for resources |
C1 | Initial fears of cantonal authorities of being overwhelmed by persons receiving app notifications | #20 |
|
|
|
C2 | Concerns that app development and operation will drain resources from other pandemic mitigation efforts | #29, #30 |
| D | Unclear effectiveness |
D1 | Some disappointment when download numbers started to plateau; fears that the number of active app users will not suffice for DPT effectiveness | #5, #18 |
|
|
|
D2 | Effect on pandemic mitigation still unclear for users and other participants, such as cantonal physicians | #18, #32, #14, #29 |
| E | Obstacles to higher user coverage and compliance | E1 | The app does not work abroad | #5, #22 |
|
|
|
E2 | Lingering fears regarding privacy | #11, #12, #25 |
|
|
|
E3 | Temporary lower infection numbers reduced the urgency for app usage | #12 |
|
|
|
E4 | PCR-positive app users are not entering the CovidCodes | #2, #28 |
|
|
|
E5 | App-notified users are not calling the infoline (and do not appear in any statistics | #57, #58 |
|
|
|
E6 | Lack of personal incentives to use or regularly check the app status (could be remedied, for example, by the inclusion of news updates about pandemic); The app remains silent unless there is a notification | #42, #48 |
a#ID refers to the individual media reports listed in Multimedia Appendix 1.
bDPT: digital proximity tracing.
bPCR: polymerase chain reaction.