Public Support for COVID-19 Test Allocation

University of Pennsylvania

Status

Completed

Conditions

COVID-19

Health Equity

Treatments

Behavioral: First Come, First Served

Behavioral: Random

Behavioral: Disadvantaged Priority & Random

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT05185687

848725

#84525 (Registry Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

In a randomized survey experiment, investigators will assess public support or opposition towards one of three potential government plans for allocating at-home coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tests to United States residents: 1) first come, first served; 2) a random draw; or 3) a random draw with 20% of tests reserved for disadvantaged areas. Investigators will also examine public attitudes surrounding other logistical and equity-related aspects of these allocation plans.

Full description

Complementing other efforts to increase access to COVID-19 testing in the United States, the federal government recently announced the purchase of 500,000,000 at home COVID-19 to be distributed for free "to Americans that want them". A central logistical element in matching supply with demand will be a website, on which people will register their interest in getting tests delivered to their home address. However, it is still unclear how supply will be matched with demand. Three main candidate options are first come, first served (FCFS), in which people are sent tests in the order in which they make requests; a random draw, such as a lottery; or a combination of a random draw with a guaranteed reserved amount for more disadvantaged populations. FCFS is a widely known and practiced rationing principle, but it has shown to exacerbate inequities in, for example, the allocation of vaccine appointments. Random draws can mitigate this impact, but, in the present context, might be insufficiently sensitive to the fact that not everyone has internet access, and that the need for testing is greater among more disadvantaged communities. Combining a lottery with a disadvantage reserve system using measures such as the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index is a practical way of promoting equity, and it was already used by the majority of US states in allocating vaccines. The main objective of this study is to assess public support for each of these three allocation plans and describe differences by demographic characteristics. Investigators will also assess public attitudes toward specific details of these allocation plans. The study, which is expected to take approximately 5 minutes to complete, will be administered as part of an omnibus online survey.

Trial design

Primary purpose

Health Services Research

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Single Blind

2,019 participants in 3 patient groups

First Come, First Served

Experimental group

Description:

Respondents will view the following description: "The US government will make 500 million COVID-19 home tests available for free. US residents can ask for tests by entering their home address in a website. It is likely that more people will want tests than will be available. How should the government decide who will receive tests, when there are not enough for all who want them? One plan that is being considered is this one:" Below this statement, respondents will view the "First Come, First Served" plan description.

Treatment:

Behavioral: First Come, First Served

Random

Experimental group

Description:

Respondents will view the following description: "The US government will make 500 million COVID-19 home tests available for free. US residents can ask for tests by entering their home address in a website. It is likely that more people will want tests than will be available. How should the government decide who will receive tests, when there are not enough for all who want them? One plan that is being considered is this one:" Below this statement, respondents will view the "Random" plan description.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Random

Disadvantaged Priority & Random

Experimental group

Description:

Respondents will view the following description: "The US government will make 500 million COVID-19 home tests available for free. US residents can ask for tests by entering their home address in a website. It is likely that more people will want tests than will be available. How should the government decide who will receive tests, when there are not enough for all who want them? One plan that is being considered is this one:" Below this statement, respondents will view the "Disadvantaged Priority \& Random" plan description.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Disadvantaged Priority & Random

Trial contacts and locations

1

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