Transcript Consumer Health Information Web Sites: the State of the Art

Consumer Health Information
Web Sites: the State of the Art
A snapshot analysis of Consumer Health
web sites
Andrea M. Ketchum, MLIS, AHIP
University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library System
May 24, 2004
Background
• Preparation for update and redesign of HSLS
Consumer Health Information web site.
• Literature search found no previous analyses
• Survey performed to
– Identify prevalent format and content of existing
sites
– Brainstorm
– Clarify goals for redesign
Methods
Survey of 33 Consumer Health web sites
• Google search
– University AND “Consumer Health Information”
– 33 web sites selected from first 10 pages
• Academic centers
• Public libraries
• Hospital libraries
• 16 US states and Canada represented
• Snapshot date: November 6, 2002
• Web sites analyzed for
– Structure
– Content
33 Consumer Health Information Web Sites
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Aetna, InteliHealth: Harvard Medical School's Consumer Health Information
http://www.intelihealth.com/
Arizona Health Sciences Library, Consumer Health - MultFind Results
http://www.ahsl.arizona.edu
Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library, Columbia University, Consumer
Medicine http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/library/subguides/consumer.html
Charlottesville (VA) Community Web, Consumer Health
http://hsc.virginia.edu/hs-library/outreach/consumer.html
Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System, Consumer Health
http://www.cclslib.org/consumerhealth.html
Cooper Health System, Medical Library
http://cooperhealth.medicallibrary.medem.com/medlib_entry.cfm?m1=http://co
operhealth&flag=geturl
Crozer-Keystone Health System, Crozer-Keystone Virtual Library
http://www.crozer.org/Crozer/Health+Information/default.htm
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Dartmouth Biomedical Libraries, Consumer Health Resources
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~biomed/resources.htmld/conshealth.htmld/
Duke University Medical Center Library, Consumer/Patient Health
Information
http://www.mclibrary.duke.edu/respub/refres/consumer.html
Emory Health Sciences Center Library, Emory MedWeb Subject Index
for Consumer Health http://www.medweb.emory.edu/MedWeb
Exempla Lutheran Medical Center, Consumer Health Libraries
http://www.saintjosephdenver.org/yourhealth/libraries/
Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library/ New Haven Free
Public Library, Consumer Health Information Network
http://www.nhfpl.lib.ct.us/healthnetwork/
Indiana University School of Law, Consumer Information
http://www.iulaw.indy.indiana.edu/programs/CLH/consumerinfo.htm
Indiana University School of Medicine, Consumer Health
http://www.medlib.iupui.edu/ref/consumer.html
Lane Medical Library, Stanford University Medical Center, Consumer
Health http://lane.stanford.edu/toolkits/consumer.html
Loyola University, Consumer Health
http://libraries.luc.edu/cfpages/subjectpg.cfm?sid=52
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McGill University, Selected Consumer Health Resources
http://www.health.library.mcgill.ca/resource/consumer.htm
McMaster University Health Sciences Library, Health Care
Information Resources http://www-hsl.mcmaster.ca/tomflem/top.html
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, New England Region,
Consumer Health Information
http://www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov/ner/ConsumerHealth.html
Northern Virginia Community College Libraries, Consumer Health
Resources http://www.nvcc.edu/library/BOW/elechealth.htm
partnership: U of Cincinnati, OSU, Case Western Reserve, NetWellness
Consumer Health Information http://netwellness.org/
Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library of Emory
University, Consumer Health Resources
http://www.emory.edu/WHSCL/REFERENCE/consumerhlth.htm
University of California Davis Health Sciences Libraries, Consumer
Health Resources http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/healthsci/conshealth.html
University of Iowa, Virtual Hospital Information for Patients - Iowa
Health Book http://www.vh.org/Patients/Patients.html
University of Iowa, Hardin Meta Directory of Internet Health Sources
http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/md/index.html
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University of Maryland Health Sciences and Human Services Library,
Consumer Health Links
http://www.hshsl.umaryland.edu/resources/consumer/
University of Maryland Libraries, Consumer Health
http://www.lib.umd.edu/MCK/GUIDES/consumer_health.html
University of Toronto, Patient and Consumers
http://www.stmichaelshospital.com/content/programs/hslibrary/consumerh
omepage.asp
University of Wisconsin-Madison Health Sciences Libraries, Consumer
Health and Medical Information
http://www.medsch.wisc.edu/chslib/consumer/
Utah Library Association, Utah Consumer Health Information Network
http://www.ula.org/organization/rt/heart/heart-uchin.htm
VCU Libraries, Virginia Commonwealth University, Consumer Health
Resources http://www.library.vcu.edu/tml/bibs/consumer.html
Washington Hospital Healthcare System, Washington Community Health
Resource Library http://www.healthlibrary.org
Yale University Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library,
Consumer Health Resources http://www.med.yale.edu/library/consumer/
Structure and Content Analysis
Structure Fields (33 sites surveyed)
Columns
33
Site Search
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Index = Links
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Organized by Resource Type
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Scroll One Page
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Site Index in Border
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Organized by Subject
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Site Map/Guide
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Tables
4
Navigation Tabs
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Content Fields (33 sites surveyed)
List of Links
32 Ask a Librarian
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Contact Information
26 Today’s Date
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Last Update
18 Quality Tips
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Disclaimer
16 Non-English Language
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Medical News
12 Search Tips
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Alternative Medicine
12 Ask the Doc
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Demographic Groups
10 Commercial Affiliation
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Guides
9 Referral Service
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Privacy Statement
7 Interactive Tools
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Most Common Features
Top 5 Structure Features
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Top 5 Content Features
Columns
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Site search
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Index = Links (internal or external) •
Organized by resource type •
Scrolling one page
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List of links
Contact information
Last update notice
Disclaimer
Medical News
Most Common Structure
Site Search
Most Common Structure
Index = Links
Most Common Structure
Organized by Resource Type
Most Common Structure
Scroll one page
Most Common Content
Lists of Links
Most Common Content
Contact Information
Most Common Content
Last Update
Most Common Content
Disclaimer
Most Common Content
Medical News
Least Common Features
Bottom 5
Structure Features
Bottom 5
Content Features
• Site Index Border
• Organized by Subject
• Site map/guide
• Tables
• Navigation Tabs
• Search tips
• Ask the Doc
• Commercial ads
• Referral service
• Interactive tools
Least Common Structure
Site Index Border
Least Common Structure
Organized by Subject
Least Common Structure
Site Map/Guide
Least Common Structure
Tables
Least Common Structure
Navigation Tabs
Least Common Content:
Search Tips
Least Common Content
Ask the Doc
Least Common Content
Commercial Ads
Least Common Content
Referral Services
Least Common Content
Interactive Tools
EXAMPLE: Most Common Structure
Columbia University
Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library
Organized by
Resource Type
Site Search
Index=Links
Columnar
Contact Info
Content =
List of Links
Scroll
one
page
Last Update
EXAMPLE: Least Typical Structure and Content
Organized by subject
Site Index
Border
Ask a doc
Interactive Tools
Advertisments
Summary
• Most common design was a 1-page, columnar
scrolling list of external and internal links organized
by resource type, with site search, contact
information, last update notice, and disclaimer.
Simple maintenance suspected.
• Least common design included interactive tools,
referral services, search tips, advertisements,
navigation tabs and a site map in a more complex
layout, organized by subject: a commercial look.
Time-consuming maintenance suspected.
• Medical News and Alternative Medicine were the
most frequent specialized topics.
Most Surprising Find
• 61% organized by Resource Type
– Directories, Web sites, etc.
• Only 39% organized by Subject
Lessons Learned
• A survey of current web sites provides inspiration as well as a
menu of possible design and content features.
• Borrow the visual interest and navigational flexibility from web
sites with a more commercial design (Intelihealth) and combine
with the simplicity of academic library sites.
• Add interest with photos and other illustrations.
• Provide access to as much content as possible from the front
page.
– Build site map into front page, through layered subject outline.
– Border menus, navigation tabs add interest and search flexibility
• External news sources address current medical concerns and
should be available for reference online.
• Keep text simple, clear, and avoid adjacent columns of text to
enhance accessibility and assure compatibility with screen
readers.
Putting it all together:
HSLS Consumer Health Information
http://www.hsls.pitt.edu/guides/chi