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.

Older adults' perceptions of using iPads for improving fruit and vegetable intake: an exploratory study.

Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption can improve older adults' health outcomes, but conventional interventions can be resource demanding and make it difficult to provide just-in-time intervention content. iPad-based interventions may help overcome these limitations, but little is known about how older adults might perceive and use iPads for FV consumption. To address this gap in the literature, we conducted a qualitative study to explore older adults' perceptions and use of iPads for improving FV consumption between February and August of 2012. Five focus group sessions each lasting 120 min were conducted with 22 older adult participants. During each session, participants received guided exposure and instruction on iPad use and then explored three iPad applications targeting FV consumption (MyFood, FiveADay Lite, and Whole Foods Market Recipes). Detailed notes from focus group interviews were analyzed with a grounded theory approach that applied a constant comparative method to enable themes to emerge from the data. Three themes were identified from the data regarding participants' baseline perceptions of iPads. These included (a) limited knowledge on iPad's functions, (b) iPads were intended for younger users, and (c) iPads were too expensive. Themes identified regarding participants' perceptions of iPads after guided exposure included (a) the touchscreen was easier to use than a computer mouse, (b) tapping the interface required practice, (c) portability was an asset in conjunction with functionality, (d) portability and functionality supported personal interests, (e) the difficulty of learning an iPad's functions varied, and (f) practice and instruction helped overcome fear of the iPad. Finally, participants recommended iPad app features that could help them overcome barriers to their FV intake. These included (a) locating inexpensive FV from nearby sources, (b) providing tailored food and recipe suggestions, and (c) tracking and communicating FV intake with a doctor. These findings have important implications for future research on mobile app-based eHealth interventions to improve older adults' FV intake.

eHealth literacy interventions for older adults: a systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: eHealth resources offer new opportunities for older adults to access health information online, connect with others with shared health interests, and manage their health. However, older adults often lack sufficient eHealth literacy to maximize their benefit from these resources. OBJECTIVE: This review evaluates the research design, methods, and findings of eHealth literacy interventions for older adults. METHODS: A systematic review of peer-reviewed research articles from 28 databases in 9 fields was carried out in January 2013. Four rounds of screening of articles in these databases resulted in a final sample of 23 articles. RESULTS: Findings indicated a significant gap in the literature for eHealth literacy interventions evaluating health outcomes as the outcome of interest, a lack of theory-based interventions, and few studies applied high-quality research design. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings emphasize the need for researchers to develop and assess theory-based interventions applying high-quality research design in eHealth literacy interventions targeting the older population.

Understanding and Changing Older Adults' Perceptions and Learning of Social Media.

An exploratory study was conducted to answer the following questions: What are older adults' perceptions of social media? What educational strategies can facilitate their learning of social media? A thematic map was developed to illustrate changing perceptions from the initial unanimous, strong negative to the more positive but cautious and to the eventual willingness to actually contribute content. Privacy was the primary concern and key perceptual barrier to adoption. Effective educational strategies were developed to overcome privacy concerns, including: 1) introducing the concepts before introducing the functions; 2) responding to privacy concerns; and 3) making social media personally relevant.