The effect of enhanced messaging on COVID-19 testing intentions and behaviour.

This study is a survey which will be conducted online through the Qualtrics platform. Participants will be recruited on social media (Facebook on Instagram) with an advertisement with the message ‘Over 18? We want to hear from you! Complete a short survey about COVID-19 and be in with the chance to win a $20 gift card’. If they click on the advert, participants will be directed to the landing page where they can read the PIS and Consent Form before accessing the survey. The survey itself will be hosted on the survey platform Qualtrics, where it is possible to track adherence to the intervention, such that we can see at what point participants left the survey, if they did not complete it. Participants will answer demographic questions and then will be randomised to receive one of two interventions or a control. This will take about 5 minutes to complete. Immediately following this, they will be asked our outcome questions, which will also take about 5 minutes to complete. Therefore the complete survey will take about 10 minutes in total. Participants are told in the PIS that the results of the study will be posted on our website (https://sydneyhealthliteracylab.org.au). INTERVENTIONS: In a nationally representative survey our team ran in November 2020, we identified the most frequently identified reasons people had not to get a COVID-19 test, even if they had symptoms. Participants will be shown one of two animations which address the top barriers that were identified (I know what symptoms I have and don't believe they are COVID-19 ones e.g. hayfever/normal cold; I'm not sure my symptoms are bad enough; It is unlikely I have COVID-19 because there aren't many cases in my area; I’m not sure this symptom needs testing). In order to look at the best way to get across the message of getting tested for COVID-19, we will be comparing two animations, as well as comparing both of these against the control (so there are two intervention groups). One will be more direct focusing on the facts, and one based around a narrative. The fact-based animation directly addresses the barriers and describes to the listener why it is still important to get tested despite these barriers. The narrative animation is based around a story of two friends texting each other: one has mild symptoms of COVID-19 and thinks they should get tested, the other tries to convince them that they don’t need to. We have commissioned these animations through the website Fiverr, but haven’t got the final product yet.