Awareness and Use of Home-based respiratory pathogen testing services in the Internet Era: A Post-Pandemic Investigation and Analysis (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Background:Home-based respiratory pathogen testing services (HRPTS), an emerging internet-based healthcare model, enable rapid pathogen identification within hours through digital platforms and e-commerce logistics. This decentralized approach overcomes conventional testing delays to accelerate diagnosis. However, public awareness, adoption, and influencing factors remain largely unknown. OBJECTIVE Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate Chinese residents’ awareness and intention to adopt HRPTS and analyze factors influencing adoption intention. METHODS Methods: This study utilized a structured questionnaire grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model, which measured perceived usefulness, ease of use, risk, and behavioral intention. Questionnaire development involved focus-group discussions to ensure content validity. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and multivariate linear regression, with scale reliability and validity confirmed by exploratory factor analysis. Using a convenience sampling strategy, 1,850 volunteers completed questionnaires via Wenjuanxing(www.wjx.cn). After data validation, 1,756 surveys met the inclusion criteria (effective response rate: 94.92%) and were analyzed. RESULTS Results: Among 1,756 respondents, 54.7% knew about HRPTS for respiratory diseases, and 15.3% had previously used them. Perceived usefulness was high among respondents: fast pathogen identification (62.2%), early treatment (64.7%), time/cost savings (63.7%), and anxiety alleviation (63.2%). Regarding perceived ease of use, 55.9% respondents cited robust logistics, 53.8% cited online appointment convenience, and 54.2% cited simple self-sampling. However, respondents expressed concerns regarding privacy (52.7%), test accuracy questions (49.6%), and insufficient regulations (54.0%). Nevertheless, >70% respondents were willing to adopt HRPTS, if available. Multivariate regression identified female sex (β=0.755; p=0.001), higher education (β=0.887; p<0.001), age ≥60 years, and living with family (β=0.611; p=.018) as significant predictors of adoption intention. CONCLUSIONS Conclusions: HRPTS as an internet-based healthcare service holds value for early diagnosis, treatment, and healthcare optimization in China. However, significant concerns regarding test accuracy, data privacy, and regulatory accountability within this evolving digital health sector should be addressed to strengthen respiratory disease prevention in the postpandemic era.