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Designing Health Websites Based on Users Web-Based Information-Seeking
Behaviors: A Mixed-Method Observational Study
#MMPMID27267955
Pang PC
; Chang S
; Verspoor K
; Pearce J
J Med Internet Res
2016[Jun]; 18
(6
): e145
PMID27267955
show ga
BACKGROUND: Laypeople increasingly use the Internet as a source of health
information, but finding and discovering the right information remains
problematic. These issues are partially due to the mismatch between the design of
consumer health websites and the needs of health information seekers,
particularly the lack of support for "exploring" health information. OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this research was to create a design for consumer health websites by
supporting different health information-seeking behaviors. We created a website
called Better Health Explorer with the new design. Through the evaluation of this
new design, we derive design implications for future implementations. METHODS:
Better Health Explorer was designed using a user-centered approach. The design
was implemented and assessed through a laboratory-based observational study.
Participants tried to use Better Health Explorer and another live health website.
Both websites contained the same content. A mixed-method approach was adopted to
analyze multiple types of data collected in the experiment, including screen
recordings, activity logs, Web browsing histories, and audiotaped interviews.
RESULTS: Overall, 31 participants took part in the observational study. Our new
design showed a positive result for improving the experience of health
information seeking, by providing a wide range of information and an engaging
environment. The results showed better knowledge acquisition, a higher number of
page reads, and more query reformulations in both focused and exploratory search
tasks. In addition, participants spent more time to discover health information
with our design in exploratory search tasks, indicating higher engagement with
the website. Finally, we identify 4 design considerations for designing consumer
health websites and health information-seeking apps: (1) providing a dynamic
information scope; (2) supporting serendipity; (3) considering trust
implications; and (4) enhancing interactivity. CONCLUSIONS: Better Health
Explorer provides strong support for the heterogeneous and shifting behaviors of
health information seekers and eases the health information-seeking process. Our
findings show the importance of understanding different health
information-seeking behaviors and highlight the implications for designers of
consumer health websites and health information-seeking apps.
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