Fetters Michael D, Ivankova Nataliya V, Ruffin Mack T, Creswell John W, Power Debra
Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0708, USA.
Fam Med. 2004 Oct;36(9):651-9.
While content, navigability, and usability are essential qualities of effective Web sites, the health care literature contains limited discussion of these issues. This article describes how knowledge gained through focus groups, Web site searches, and individual interviews were used to develop and improve a health-related Web site.
We conducted 10 focus groups and searches of existing Web sites in preparation for developing a Web site about colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. We conducted 30 in-depth interviews to assess content, navigation, and usability of a new CRC Web site, using participants recruited from Michigan communities with a low incidence of CRC testing. Targeted participants were 50-70 years of age, had no prior experience with CRC testing, and had variable comfort levels with Internet use.
Existing CRC screening Web sites uniformly use user-directed navigation and have little variation in content. Our study participants stimulated revisions in content, navigation, and usability. Revised content factors included comprehension, utility, and appeal. Navigation changes focused on logical transition between sections. Usability changes included user focus and clarity of graphics/ text.
We found focus groups, Web site searches, and individual interviews useful in developing and testing content, navigation, and usability of a CRC screening Web site. These steps provide methodological procedures for developing and revising health-related Web sites.
尽管内容、可导航性和可用性是有效网站的基本特质，但医疗保健文献中对这些问题的讨论有限。本文描述了如何通过焦点小组、网站搜索以及个人访谈所获得的知识来开发和改进一个与健康相关的网站。
为开发一个关于结直肠癌（CRC）筛查的网站，我们开展了10个焦点小组讨论并对现有网站进行了搜索。我们对从密歇根州结直肠癌检测低发社区招募的参与者进行了30次深度访谈，以评估一个新的CRC网站的内容、导航和可用性。目标参与者年龄在50至70岁之间，此前没有CRC检测经验，并且对互联网使用的熟悉程度各不相同。
现有的CRC筛查网站均采用用户导向型导航，内容差异不大。我们的研究参与者促使在内容、导航和可用性方面进行了修订。修订后的内容因素包括理解性、实用性和吸引力。导航方面的改变集中在各部分之间的逻辑过渡。可用性方面的改变包括以用户为中心以及图形/文本的清晰度。
我们发现焦点小组、网站搜索和个人访谈对于开发和测试CRC筛查网站的内容、导航和可用性很有用。这些步骤为开发和修订与健康相关的网站提供了方法学程序。
