Veterans' voices: use of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Survey to identify My HealtheVet personal health record users' characteristics, needs, and preferences.
BACKGROUND
Consumer research reveals considerable interest in the use of Personal Health Records (PHRs), yet adoption remains relatively low. Both adopters and nonadopters represent important perspectives from which to understand this paradox.


OBJECTIVE
This study focuses on direct feedback from adopters obtained using the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey on the My HealtheVet PHR portal (http://www.myhealth.va.gov) of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The results represent a source of direct feedback with which to better understand veterans' needs and preferences.


METHODS
The ACSI Survey was implemented in October 2007 to measure satisfaction and elicit information about characteristics and preferences of My HealtheVet PHR adopters. The data represent a continuous random sample of site visitors who have navigated at least four pages on the site. A total of 100 617 surveys were completed (17.2%).


RESULTS
Satisfaction with My HealtheVet is high (8.3/10.0), and users are highly likely to return to the site (8.6/10.0) and recommend the site to other veterans (9.1/10.0). The majority of system adopters are male (91%), between the ages of 51 and 70 (68%), and served in the Vietnam War (60%). Most veterans currently visit the site to utilize pharmacy-related features.


CONCLUSIONS
VHA has used the ACSI to monitor satisfaction, and to better understand the characteristics, needs, and preferences of early adopters. The data provide an important source of direct feedback to inform program development. Future research will include monitoring the impact of enhancements and new features on satisfaction, and conducting additional research with nonadopters to identify barriers to adoption and use.
Nazi
Kim M
KM
Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans and Consumers Health Informatics Office, Office of Health Information, Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC, USA. kim.nazi@va.gov
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D055991:Health Records, Personal; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans