Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: May 22, 2021
Date Accepted: Sep 12, 2021
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Factors Affecting the Extent of Patients’ EMR Use: An Empirical Study Focusing on System and Patient Characteristics
ABSTRACT
Background:
Patients’ access to and use of electronic medical records (EMRs) places greater information in their hands, which helps them better co-manage their health, leading to better clinical outcomes. Despite numerous benefits that promote health and well-being, patients’ acceptance and use of EMRs remains low.
Objective:
This study aims to examine the critical system and patient characteristics that influence the extent of patients’ EMR use.
Methods:
We employed the patient technology acceptance model as a starting point and included new constructs specific to patient characteristics, such as chronic conditions, preventive health behavior, and issue involvement. To test our hypotheses, we used structural equation modeling.
Results:
The statistically significant drivers of the extent of EMR use were performance expectancy (β = 0.253; P < .000), perceived behavior control (β = 0.236; P < .000), health knowledge (β = -0.071; P < .01), caregiving status (β = 0.059; P < .05), issue involvement (β = 0.356; P < .000), chronic conditions (β = 0.071; P < .05), and preventive health behavior (β = 0.076; P < .01). The model accounted for 32.9% of the variance in the extent of EMR use.
Conclusions:
The study found that health characteristics, such as chronic conditions and patient disposition (e.g., preventive health behavior and issue involvement), directly affect the extent of EMR use. The study also revealed that issue involvement mediates the impacts of preventive health behaviors and the presence of chronic conditions on the extent of patients’ EMR use.
Citation
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