title: Design simplicity influences patient portal use: the role of aesthetic evaluations for technology acceptance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study focused on patient portal use and investigated whether aesthetic evaluations of patient portals function are antecedent variables to variables in the Technology Acceptance Model.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey of current patient portals users (N = 333) was conducted online. Participants completed the Visual Aesthetics of Website Inventory, along with items measuring perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived usefulness (PU), and behavioral intentions (BIs) to use the patient portal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hypothesized model accounted for 29% of the variance in BIs to use the portal, 46% of the variance in the PU of the portal, and 29% of the variance in the portal's PEU. Additionally, one dimension of the aesthetic evaluations functions as a predictor in the model - simplicity evaluations had a significant positive effect on PEU.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence that aesthetic evaluations - specifically regarding simplicity - function as a significant antecedent variable to patients' use of patient portals and should influence patient portal design strategies.
authors.affiliation: School of Media and Journalism, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA lazard@unc.edu.
authors.forename: Allison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lazard
authors.affiliation: School of Information, The University of Texas, Austin, USA.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.affiliation: Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations, Center for Health Communication, The University of Texas, Austin, USA. School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, USA.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Mackert
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing & School of Information, The University of Texas, Austin, USA.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Studies, Center for Health Communication, The University of Texas, Austin, USA.
authors.forename: Keri K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.affiliation: Austin Regional Clinic.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shalev
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D004954:Esthetics; D055991:Health Records, Personal; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D014584:User-Computer Interface
keywords: eHealth; patient portals; technology acceptance model; web aesthetics