J Biomed Inform. 2011 Oct;44(5):897-908. doi: 10.1016/j.jbi.2011.03.001. Epub 2011 Mar 17.

Implementation of a user-centered framework in the development of a web-based health information database and call center.

Journal of biomedical informatics

Heather A Taylor, Dori Sullivan, Cydney Mullen, Constance M Johnson

PMID: 21396486 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2011.03.001

Abstract

As healthcare consumers increasingly turn to the World Wide Web (WWW) to obtain health information, it is imperative that health-related websites are user-centered. Websites are often developed without consideration of intended users' characteristics, literacy levels, preferences, and information goals resulting in user dissatisfaction, abandonment of the website, and ultimately the need for costly redesign. This paper provides a methodological review of a user-centered framework that incorporates best practices in literacy, information quality, and human-computer interface design and evaluation to guide the design and redesign process of a consumer health website. Following the description of the methods, a case analysis is presented, demonstrating the successful application of the model in the redesign of a consumer health information website with call center. Comparisons between the iterative revisions of the website showed improvements in usability, readability, and user satisfaction.

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MeSH terms

• Consumer Health Information / methods
• Databases, Factual*
• Humans
• Internet
• Patient Education as Topic / methods
• User-Computer Interface

Publication Types

• Journal Article
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
• Review