What Makes Patients Adopt the Web-Based Personal Health Records (PHRs)?

Abstract

This study analyzed what makes patients adopt the web-based personal health records (PHRs). Patients may consider the perceived value of information, the perceived usefulness of searching, the perceived privacy, the perceived trust, and the perceived security when they adopt the web-based PHRs. By using HINTS (Health Information National Trends Survey), this study found that the perceived value of information is the most important determinant when patients adopt the web-based PHRs. The perceived privacy, the perceived trust, and the perceived security are also determinants to influence their decision to adopt the web-based PHRs. But, the perceived value of searching is not statistically significant to explain the adoption of the web-based PHRs. However, the perceived value of information is a strong antecedent of the perceived usefulness of searching. Based on this study, patients are more likely to adopt the web-based PHRs when they realize that the web-based PHRs provide valuable and reliable information with protecting their privacy and system security.