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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
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Consumer Health Information Web Sites: the State of the Art A snapshot analysis of Consumer Health web sites Andrea M. Ketchum, MLIS, AHIPUniversity of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library SystemMay 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
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://cooperhealth&flag=geturl Crozer-Keystone Health System, Crozer-Keystone Virtual Library http://www.crozer.org/Crozer/Health+Information/default.htm 33 Consumer Health Information Web Sites
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
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
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/consumerhomepage.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/
Top 5 Structure Features Columns Site search Index = Links (internal or external) Organized by resource type Scrolling one page Most Common Features • Top 5 Content Features • List of links • Contact information • Last update notice • Disclaimer • Medical News
Bottom 5 Structure Features Site Index Border Organized by Subject Site map/guide Tables Navigation Tabs Bottom 5 Content Features Search tips Ask the Doc Commercial ads Referral service Interactive tools Least Common Features
EXAMPLE: Most Common Structure Columbia UniversityAugustus 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 Advertisments Site Index Border Ask a doc Interactive Tools
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 Informationhttp://www.hsls.pitt.edu/guides/chi