How to access personal health records? Measuring the intention to use and the perceived usefulness of two different technologies: A randomised controlled study

Abstract

Personal health records (PHR) are instruments to compile, store and present health and wellness related data digitally with proven effects on self-management of diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there were differences in the intention to use (ITU) and perceived usefulness (PU) of two technologies allowing users to access the PHR, i.e. a kiosk system and a smart phone based app (access as usual). The study also aimed at modelling ITU and PU with multiple linear regressions. A total of 46 subject participated in the study who were randomly assigned to one of the two experimental groups (nkiosk= 22; napp=24). The task for both groups was to digitise their “Medikationsplan” (medical record) and upload it to the PHR. There was no significant difference in ITU and PU between the two technologies. ITU could only be significantly explained by PU (R2=.55, p<0.001), while PU was determined by perceived ease of use and psychological factors (R2=.64, p<0.001). Severity of disease did not play any significant role. The German “Terminservice- und Versorgungsgesetz” underpins the importance and timeliness of this study. The assumption that both - the publicly accessible kiosk and the app - are equally acceptable for people of different gender, age and technology background demonstrates the opportunity to master a potential digital divide among the population and allows users to get access to their PHR in multiple ways. © 2019 The authors and IOS Press.