Does Personality Matter When We Are Sick? An Empirical Study of the Role of Personality Traits and Health Emotion in Healthcare Technology Adoption Decision

Abstract

Several studies reported disparities among patients in using healthcare technologies. Although some researchers cited demographic characteristics as possible factors responsible for these disparities, these factors alone may not provide a complete view of adoption issues. Thus, disparities among technology users remain a topic of interest to Health Informatics researchers. Although personality traits are important factors in influencing technology adoption behavior, its’ influence in healthcare technology adoption decision remains unknown. Moreover, individuals’ emotion related to their on-going health issues further complicate the situation. Specifically, the interaction effect between patients’ personality traits and health emotional state is an important and interesting research topic that is yet to be explored. This study proposes and empirically tests a conceptual model incorporating individuals’ personality traits and health emotional states in the context of patient portal use. The results suggest interesting finding – individual’s health emotion supersedes the influence of personality traits in healthcare technology adoption decision.