Orderliness and clarity when designing patient portals are crucial to adoption and acceptance of the tools, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
The researchers, from the University of Texas, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Austin (Texas) Regional Clinic, examined aesthetics of portals, such as simplicity, diversity, colorfulness and craftsmanship. They then correlated those with perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived usefulness (PU) and behavioral intentions (BI).
The biggest aesthetic that lead to acceptance of the tools was simplicity of use, according to the study.
To that end, the authors said, portals should be "well-structured, cohesive and easy to understand." Such advice could also be influential to "improving the adoption of other e-health technologies," they added.
What's more, they found support for a relationship between PEU, PU and BI; however, there was no direct relationship found between ease of use and behavioral intentions--showing that perceived usefulness must be included as well in the relationship.
Other studies have shown that portals also must be more fluid to cater to different demographics, including younger generations that are willing to share more information and older patients who are more private.
In addition, research has found that patients are often challenged by portals and there are significant disparities in portal registration and use, particularly among older adults.
To learn more:
- here's the study abstract