Adding Affordances and Communication Efficacy to the Technology Acceptance Model to Study the Messaging Features of Online Patient Portals among Young Adults

ABSTRACT

The use of messaging features within online patient portals could be beneficial to patients, but many patients do not utilize these features. Furthermore, it remains uncertain the reasons why patients may (or may not) use messaging features to communicate with a care provider. This study proposes and tests an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which incorporated perceived affordances (editability and persistence) and communication efficacy. An online survey was conducted with a sample of 525 young adults. Results showed that the editability affordance was conducted with perceived usefulness, while communication efficacy was associated with perceived ease of use of messaging. Editability and communication efficacy also were positively associated intention to use online patient portal messaging features, whereas persistence was negatively associated. Results suggest practitioners should emphasize editability and communication efficacy to increase patient intentions to use messaging features to communicate with a care provider.