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The use, usability and persuasiveness of PAZIO, an online healthcare portal

Immink-van Boven, R. (2013) The use, usability and persuasiveness of PAZIO, an online healthcare portal.

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Abstract:Background – Patients are increasingly interested in using internet-based technologies to communicate with their providers, schedule clinic visits, request medication refills, and view their medical records electronically. A patient portal is an online environment where these kinds of services are offered. There are a lot of portals developed the last fifteen years. These healthcare portals are developed to improve the accessibility of healthcare, quality of care, communication and patient satisfaction. However, in practice, a lot of problems with regard to diffusion, adherence, finances and knowledge play part, which result in a sub-optimal impact of these portals. Objectives – In this study, the usability and persuasiveness of a personalized interactive patient portal are investigated, since these factors turn out to be predictors of adherence. To evaluate the uptake of the PAZIO patient portal, the use is analyzed and a possible influence of a change agent in the form of a promotional team is investigated. Methods – Survey (n=365), usability tests (n=15) and analysis of log file data (n=140) of patient portal PAZIO is performed in two general practices, both including two different locations, to provide insight in the use, usability and persuasiveness of the portal. The influence of a promotional team on the reach and traffic is investigated through comparison of two general practices. Results – The patient portal is widely used in the practice where the patient portal is implemented since December 2012; 70 percent of the registered users of the portal actually use it. Nevertheless, only a few of them utilize the entire portal, resulting in a lower depth of use. An effect on the reach of the portal by a change agent isn’t found, although the traffic to and within the portal seems to be increased. Most important seems to be the usability; this is even more than persuasiveness a predictor of adherence to and satisfaction with the portal. Overall a positive judgment is given to the separate services, regarding simplicity, velocity, clarity, support, practical outcome, recommending and satisfaction. A lot of insight is obtained in possibilities to improve these. Conclusion – A usable system with a persuasive design has the potential to enthuse users, creating traffic in the full range of different services, since the need and willingness of such patient portals is high and the aimed goals of improved access of care, quality of care and comprehensive care could be realized. To create a usable system, a perfect coherence with the needs, expectations and view of the healthcare consumers is necessary; guiding the end-users to and through the system, observing struggles and successes, a perfect fitting help-menu and constant evaluations. A change agent, in form of a promotional team, can improve the actual use of the portal. On top of that, to improve patient-centered healthcare, which is the aim of the portal and desire of the end-user, the portal has to expand, offering other services and including more healthcare providers.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Clients:
Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht UMC, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:85 business administration, organizational science
Programme:Health Sciences MSc (66851)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/63716
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