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

MethodsSurvey 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

• 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

• 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/

Structure Fields (33 sites surveyed)Columns 33

Site Search 22

Index = Links 21

Organized by Resource Type 20

Scroll One Page 19

Site Index in Border 15

Organized by Subject 13

Site Map/Guide 6

Tables 4

Navigation Tabs 2

Structure and Content Analysis

Content Fields (33 sites surveyed)List of Links 32 Ask a Librarian 6

Contact Information 26 Today’s Date 5

Last Update 18 Quality Tips 4

Disclaimer 16 Non-English Language 3

Medical News 12 Search Tips 2

Alternative Medicine 12 Ask the Doc 2

Demographic Groups 10 Commercial Affiliation 2

Guides 9 Referral Service 2

Privacy Statement 7 Interactive Tools 1

Most Common Features

Top 5 Structure Features• Columns• Site search• Index = Links (internal or external)

• Organized by resource type• Scrolling one page

Top 5 Content Features• 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

• 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 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

Columbia UniversityAugustus C. Long Health Sciences Library

EXAMPLE: Most Common Structure

Index=Links

Site SearchOrganized by Resource Type

Scroll one page

Contact Info

Last Update

Content = List of Links

Columnar

Organized by subject

Site Index Border

Ask a doc

EXAMPLE: Least Typical Structure and Content

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