By Zhan Caplan / Director, Office of Public Affairs and Communications
Twitter:@ONC_HealthIT
If you’re reading this blog post, then chances are that you have noticed something new about HealthIT.gov. I’m pleased to introduce our new and improved website – a resource that provides visitors with an authoritative resource on all things related to health IT. When ONC originally launched HealthIT.gov in 2011, it was the primary source of information about health information technology (health IT) from the federal government. Users reported that the website met their needs for many years, but grew outdated overtime.
We conducted a number of stakeholder interviews so we could better understand who is using the website and what information they’re seeking. From there, our team worked with designers and developers on the new, easily navigable, informative, revamped website. The redesigned website reflects feedback we received from our internal and external stakeholders.
One of the most highly requested features was a website that works on any device, from smartphones to tablets to desktop computers. We’re excited to say that the new HealthIT.gov was responsively designed and developed from the ground up. The new site allows our mobile users to easily access and view information. Content is now easier to access and resizes based on the device used to access the site.
We also think it’s important that users are able to find the information they are looking for as quickly as possible. We added a “News & Updates” section on the homepage where you can find recent releases, reports, blog posts, and news updates. The new site also features a much more robust search functionality that will make it easier for visitors to find the information they are looking for quickly and easily.
The original HealthIT.gov was segmented by the types of individuals that came to the site: providers, policymakers, and patients. Users had to click through many pages to find the information they’re seeking. The new site features topic-based navigation that will reduce the number of clicks it takes for users to easily find the content they need.
We also want to make it easier to hear from you about HealthIT.gov. At the bottom of each content page, you’ll notice a quick survey: “Was this page helpful?” There are three simple questions to answer that will only take site visitors a few seconds to fill out. This will allow us to identify what’s helpful, what needs to be updated, and collect valuable insights about how you, our audience, use HealthIT.gov. We hope you’ll take a moment to give us this important feedback!
The road doesn’t end here though. We will be continually updating the website with fresh content and new features, reflecting your comments and changing needs. Our goal is to continue to be the authoritative source of the most relevant, up-to-date information about health IT.
This post was originally published on the Health IT Buzz and is syndicated here with permission.