Predicting Health Care Providers' Acceptance of a Personal Health Record Secure Messaging Feature

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Healthcare Management
• Digital Health

Background:

• Personal Health Records (PHRs) are increasingly adopted in Saudi Arabia.
• Secure messaging within PHRs can enhance patient-centered communication.
• Evaluating healthcare providers' acceptance of PHR features is crucial for successful implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify predictors of healthcare providers' behavioral intention to adopt secure messaging in PHRs.
• To utilize an adapted Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model.
• To inform the integration of secure messaging features in Saudi Arabian healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey conducted among healthcare providers at the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs.
• Data collected between April and May 2021 from 224 participants.
• Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Performance expectancy (β=0.21, p=0.01) and attitude (β=0.50, p<0.01) significantly predicted behavioral intention to support PHR secure messaging.
• Effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions did not significantly impact intention.
• Demographic factors (age, experience, role) did not moderate the observed relationships.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare providers' support for secure messaging in PHRs is contingent on perceived usefulness and positive attitudes.
• Training and support are essential to familiarize providers and patients with the benefits and outcomes of using PHR secure messaging.
• Addressing provider attitudes and ensuring functional performance are key to successful implementation of PHR secure messaging.