Design simplicity influences patient portal use: the role of aesthetic evaluations for technology acceptance

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. CONCLUSION: 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.