Using decision aids to support self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic

Self-isolation is a vital element of efforts to contain COVID-19. We report an online experiment with a nationally representative sample (N=500) that tested behaviourally informed decision aids to support self-isolation. The experiment had three stages that tested interventions designed to help individuals to: (i) decide whether they need to self-isolate; (ii) be confident in their ability to self-isolate should they need to; and (iii) manage a household in which an individual needs to self-solate. Relative to prevailing public health advice, displaying decision trees improved participants’ decisions about when self-isolation was necessary, although they systematically underestimated the need to self-isolate in the presence of less common COVID-19 symptoms (e.g. sore throat, fatigue). Interaction with an online planning tool increased confidence about coping with self-isolation among adults aged under 40. Presenting advice in the form of infographics improved recall and comprehension of how to manage self-isolation. The study demonstrates how public health policy can benefit from behavioural pre-testing of interventions.