JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Doctors, patients, and health systems have adopted electronic patient portals at increasing rates over the past decade in response to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009. The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act underscored the regulatory importance of patient satisfaction scores. Despite this, inconclusive data exists thus far regarding the effect of electronic patient portal use on patient satisfaction outcomes.

Objective:

This study applies social cognitive theory and adaptive structuration theory to explore the impacts of post adoptive use of the electronic patient portal technology on patient satisfaction outcomes.

Methods:

We propose that post-adoptive use of electronic patient portal will have a positive impact on patient satisfaction outcomes, mediated by gratification (GR), Health Absorptive Capacity (HAC), and Positive Affect (PA). A total of 504 valid patient portal user responses were collected, and Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis was performed to analyze the data.

Results:

Results show that post-adoptive use of patient portal has a positive impact on patient satisfaction, through the mediating variables of gratification, health absorptive capacity and positive affect. Specifically, post-adoptive use positively influenced gratification (β=0.394, t=11.413), health absorptive capacity (β=0.162, t= 4.076) and positive affect (β=0.158, t=4.618). Each of these attitudes positively influenced the three dimensions of patient satisfaction; a) gratification to care team communication (β=0.271, t=4.725), atmosphere (β=0.288, t=5.860), instruction effectiveness (β=0.279, t=4.997) b) health absorptive capacity to care team communication (β=0.286, t=4.418), atmosphere (β=0.265, t=4.319), instruction effectiveness (β=0.241, t=4.180), and c) Positive affect to care team communication (β=0.131, t=2.632), atmosphere (β=0.190, t=3.955), instruction effectiveness (β=0.227, t=4.540). Health absorptive capacity also positively influenced gratification (β=0.455, t=10.936), and positive affect (β=0.495, t=11.748). Model explained 32.1% of care team communication, 40.8% of atmosphere, and 39.2% of instruction effectiveness.

Conclusions:

The use of electronic patient portal can lead to higher patient satisfaction, through the mediating role played by gratification, health absorptive capacity and positive affect. Therefore, patient portals that strive to encourage patient’s levels of gratification, health absorptive capacity and positive affect will achieve higher levels of patient satisfaction. Clinical Trial: None