 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Pamela B Harper, Education & Health Promotion Department, March of Dimes, 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605, 914-997-4455, pharper@marchofdimes.com, Patricia Goldman, BS, E-Business, March of Dimes, 1275 Mamaroneck Avenu, White Plains, NY 10605, and Charles L. Mauro, MS, MauroNewMedia, 524 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
This presentation will describe professional usability and customer satisfaction evaluation techniques used to measure audience response to health information Web sites. In late 2002, the March of Dimes commissioned independent online studies with 80 pregnant women and 80 health care professionals to evaluate the usability and quality of its Web site for these two audiences. In addition, representatives of the two study groups also undertook a series of tasks on the site in a professional usability testing laboratory where they then responded to an online questionnaire and were interviewed by an independent researcher. Study participants were recruited through the March of Dimes Web site and by an independent online research firm. Participants were asked to evaluate the March of Dimes Web site across numerous dimensions including: ease of use (ability to find information, time to locate information, time and errors associated with finding different levels of information), content (credibility, relevance, quality of writing, amount of information), and overall design (appropriateness of the visual design, overall level of design aesthetics). The research methodology was based on established cognitive use patterns for visitors of health information sites. This presentation will feature the results of the study, including how the site was modified to respond to user feedback. It will also describe the respondents’ level of general Web use, trust in the Web for health information, and use of other health sites. Costs of such studies, including moderate and low-cost options, will be reviewed.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Internet, World Wide Web
Related Web page: www.marchofdimes.com
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: MauroNewMedia
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.