CommunicateHealth, Inc: Rachel Pryzby MPH, CHES • Mareika Phillips • Xanthi Scrimgeour, MHEd, MCHES Southern New Hampshire Health: Jackie Clancy

Designing for Health Literacy: Lessons Learned from the Southern New Hampshire Health Website Redesign

BackgroundCommunicateHealth, Inc. worked with Southern New Hampshire Health (SNHH) — a regional health system encompassing over 70 practices — to redesign their website according to health literacy best practices. The overarching project goal was to make it easier for consumers to find health care information online and ultimately access services.

Findings

www.snhhealth.org

The health care consumers we spoke with desired a health system site that lets them do what they need to do quickly and easily. After redesigning the site according to health literacy best practices, research participants were more likely to be able to:Methods

Lessons Learned

An online survey (n=204) and in-depth interviews (n=6) with SNHH staff and stakeholder gave us insights on what worked and didn't work for professionals who use the website in their jobs.

In focus groups with health care consumers (n=22), we learned which content was most important for consumers, along with their desired visual tone.

Through baseline usability testing with health care consumers (n=5), the team observed first-hand where users had trouble navigating the site.

By developing personas, we distilled what we learned and kept key user groups and tasks top-of-mind.

In click testing (n=46), we tested a new information architecture and design to make sure that the organization, labeling, and look and feel made sense to consumers.

Post-launch usability testing with health care consumers (n=8) allowed us to observe users navigating the live site so that we could make final tweaks based on their insights.

The SNHH site was developed through a user-centered design process. User-centered design is a method that involves users as co-creators in every step of the design process.

Prominent quick link buttons are effective in connecting users to the most important site tasks, like finding a doctor or paying a bill

A friendly and welcome look and feel on the site resonates with users

Strategic use of color on buttons and links helps indicate actionability without inducing stress

Clear labels and reduced clutter help users feel confident that they're able to find the information they need

Health system sites must be responsive and fully functional on smaller devices

Access a patient portal

Pay a bill

Find information about health classes and programs

Locate a pre-registration page

Many web users — and particularly those with limited health literacy skills — have trouble completing basic tasks online. When designing a health system website, it's essential to design with health literacy in mind to ensure that all users can complete core site tasks with ease.

BeforePrevious look and organization of SNHH site

AfterUpdated look and organization of SNHH site

Search

Our Services

Our Locations

Visiting Southern NHMedical Center

Billing andInsurance

Find aDoctor

Make anAppointment

PatientPortal

Pay aBill

Careers | Contact Us | About Us | Support SNHH

Home | Terms of Use | Sitemap | Employee login

Immediate Care Locations and Wait Times >

- ,

southern

healthnew hampshire

southern

healthnew hampshire

Northampton, MA + Rockville, MD413 582 0425 + communicatehealth.com

Client

Southern New Hampshire Health (SNHH)

Project

CommunicateHealth is working with Southern New Hampshire Health (SNHH) to redesign their website – with the goal of making it easier for people to find health care information and access care. SNHH is a regional health system encompassing over 500 providers at 60 practices. We conducted a sta� survey, interviewed key stakeholders, and ran 3 focus groups and 2 phases of usability testing with health care consumers. Armed with this information, we developed a new website structure and design – all with end users in mind.

Headline

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Search

Our Services

Our Locations

Visiting Southern NHMedical Center

Billing andInsurance

Find aDoctor

Make anAppointment

PatientPortal

Pay aBill

Careers | Contact Us | About Us | Support SNHH

Home | Terms of Use | Sitemap | Employee login

Sit diam veniam tantas eu, ne libris aliquid his, movet assueverit has at. Vim vocibus singulis intellegat ad.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, sit decore habemus ancillae et.

Headline Sit diam veniam tantas eu, ne libris aliquid his, movet assueverit has at. Vim vocibus singulis intellegat ad. Dicunt interesset in pri, est exerci admodum tibique te. An qui disputationi. Ex melius feugiat pericula eam.

Immediate Care Locations and Wait Times >

Dicunt interesset in pri, est exerci admodum tibique te. An qui disputationi. Ex melius feugiat pericula eam.

- John Doe, lorem ipsum dolor

southern

healthnew hampshire

southern

healthnew hampshire

Sea an facete mollis vivendum

Menu Search

southern

healthnew hampshire

Find aDoctor

Make anAppointment

PatientPortal

Pay aBill

Sea an facete mollis vivendum

Menu Search

southern

healthnew hampshire

Find aDoctor

Make anAppointment

PatientPortal

Pay aBill

BEFORE AFTER

Northampton, MA + Rockville, MD413 582 0425 + communicatehealth.com

Client

Southern New Hampshire Health (SNHH)

Project

CommunicateHealth is working with Southern New Hampshire Health (SNHH) to redesign their website – with the goal of making it easier for people to find health care information and access care. SNHH is a regional health system encompassing over 500 providers at 60 practices. We conducted a sta� survey, interviewed key stakeholders, and ran 3 focus groups and 2 phases of usability testing with health care consumers. Armed with this information, we developed a new website structure and design – all with end users in mind.

Headline

Sea an facete mollis vivendum

Search

Our Services

Our Locations

Visiting Southern NHMedical Center

Billing andInsurance

Find aDoctor

Make anAppointment

PatientPortal

Pay aBill

Careers | Contact Us | About Us | Support SNHH

Home | Terms of Use | Sitemap | Employee login

Sit diam veniam tantas eu, ne libris aliquid his, movet assueverit has at. Vim vocibus singulis intellegat ad.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, sit decore habemus ancillae et.

Headline Sit diam veniam tantas eu, ne libris aliquid his, movet assueverit has at. Vim vocibus singulis intellegat ad. Dicunt interesset in pri, est exerci admodum tibique te. An qui disputationi. Ex melius feugiat pericula eam.

Immediate Care Locations and Wait Times >

Dicunt interesset in pri, est exerci admodum tibique te. An qui disputationi. Ex melius feugiat pericula eam.

- John Doe, lorem ipsum dolor

southern

healthnew hampshire

southern

healthnew hampshire

Sea an facete mollis vivendum

Menu Search

southern

healthnew hampshire

Find aDoctor

Make anAppointment

PatientPortal

Pay aBill

Sea an facete mollis vivendum

Menu Search

southern

healthnew hampshire

Find aDoctor

Make anAppointment

PatientPortal

Pay aBill

BEFORE AFTER

“I like that everything is right there. I know where to find it. I don't have to go digging through. Some sites you have to dig through to find where to go to pay a bill or things like that. So having it right at the top is convenient.”

“…I can manage my own healthcare more from my own home… I don't want to be sitting on my phone trying to get through to make an appointment or anything. I like being able to do it myself.”

“I like the picture. It makes you feel warm and cozy, like you're a part of it.”