Adoption of personal health records by chronic disease patients: A research model and an empirical study

With the increasing prevalence of chronic disease throughout the world, electronic Personal Health Records (ePHRs) have been suggested as a way to improve chronic disease self-management. However, ePHRs are not yet widely used by consumers. Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) has been successfully used to explain health related behaviours among chronic disease patients. In addition, Information Systems (IS) theories such as Task Technology Fit (TTF) have been successfully used to explain information technology adoption. This study leverages these theories along with the health self-management readiness concept of the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) to propose a theoretical model of ePHR adoption by chronic disease patients for the task of self-management. The role of educational interventions on various elements of the proposed model is also examined. A survey-based study of 230 Type 2 Diabetes patients is used to empirically validate the proposed model via structural equation modeling techniques. Results reveal that the PMT, TTF and PAM constructs all have significant direct and indirect effects on the intention to adopt an ePHR. In addition, the educational intervention analysis indicates that the provision of advanced ePHR education positively influences various constructs in the model, while the use of fear appeals does not have an effect.