user interface tom gossett and mary chilvers, mn board on aging hstg june 12, 2008
TRANSCRIPT
User Interface
Tom Gossett and Mary Chilvers, MN Board on Aging
HSTG June 12, 2008
What is MinnesotaHelp.info®?• 1999 legislative mandate to create long-term care database• 2003 live at www.minnesotahelp.info • Service of the MN Board on Aging on behalf of State of
Minnesota• Web-based means of finding information about health and
human services in Minnesota• Used by Senior LinkAge Line®, Disability Linkage Line® and
Veterans Linkage Line™
• Web access point for Aging and Disability Resource Centers – a
national CMS and AOA initiative
What’s in MinnesotaHelp.info?
Comprehensive health and human service info
• Seniors • People with disabilities• Caregivers• Parents and families• Youth• Veterans• People with low income
First generation MHI philosophy
Step-by-step process, walk users through each phase of searching
• Focus groups– Quality and quantity of data, sources of data (professionals)
– Layout and phrasing on the Results and Details pages
• Road show– Training and feedback sessions across the state with county
workers
First generation MHI
First generation MHI
• “Bobby Approved”, but not accessible• Survey results, emails and feedback from users indicated
– Professionals
• Frustrated by the step-by-step process (too cumbersome)
• Can’t find services they know should be in the database
• Unable to perform statewide searches
– Consumers
• Got lost on the steps
• Don’t know human service language, can’t find what they need
Second generation MHI philosophy• Accommodate needs of “power” users
– Fast
– Better keyword capabilities, Keyword Search Tips
– Boolean functionality, field-level searching, phrase searching
– Create directories, export to MS Excel, mapping
– Save and easily repeat searches
– Statewide search capabilities
• Accommodate needs of consumers– Easier keyword searching
– Don’t need to know the lingo to use the site
Second generation MHI• Early 2004 idea of a power user interface • 2004-2005 Key Users Group formed and meeting
– Professional users within DHS - Disability Services Division, Children and Family Services, Aging & Adult Services Division
– Identify needed functionality
– Review design concepts
• 2005 values statement adopted– Be relevant
– Be accessible and user friendly
– Reduce duplication and streamline access
• 2005 accessibility cannot be separated from usability!
Second generation MHI
• 2005-2006 design• 2006 testing• 2006-2008 accessibility reviews, nationally recognized
accessibility expert• 2006-2008 production• 2005-2008 focus groups
– County case managers
– Consumer advisory group
– Area Agency on Aging, Linkage Line and DHS staff
– Minnesota Board on Aging board members
Second generation MHI
Commonly asked focus group questions
• Where would you go to find X, Y, or Z?• What would you expect to find under A, B, or C buttons?• What two things do you really like about the tool?• What two things must be changed before you would use the
tool?
Second generation MHI
• Consistency across applications
• Clear navigation “above the fold”
• No more than 3 clicks• Just–in–time log in
• Font size selector• Match between MHI language
and the real world • Flexibility and efficiency of use • Help and documentation
Adopted usability principles
Second generation MHI
Second generation MHI
• Exceeds Section 508, conforms to W3C level "Double-A“
• Interface
– Basic user
– Power user
• Search– Keyword, Suggested Keyword, Did
You Mean? (synonyms), Advanced Keyword
– Topic and Taxonomy– Resource Navigators
• Refine & modify result options
– Search history, search within search results
– Export to MS Excel, mapping, customizable directories
– Save and easily repeat searches
What’s in MinnesotaHelp.info?
• 31,000+ services• 12,500+ providers• 19,000+ sites• Organized using
international AIRS/INFO LINE Taxonomy of Human Services
Second generation MHI
Number of Visits
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
Jul-0
5
Sep-0
5
Nov-05
Jan-0
6
Mar
-06
May
-06
Jul-0
6
Sep-0
6
Nov-06
Jan-0
7
Mar
-07
May
-07
Jul-0
7
Sep-0
7
Nov-07
Jan-0
8
Mar
-08
May
-08
Number of Visits
Second generation MHI
Visitors Who Visited More Than Once
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
Jul-0
5
Sep-0
5
Nov-05
Jan-0
6
Mar
-06
May
-06
Jul-0
6
Sep-0
6
Nov-06
Jan-0
7
Mar
-07
May
-07
Jul-0
7
Sep-0
7
Nov-07
Jan-0
8
Mar
-08
May
-08
Visited More Than Once
Next steps
• Focus groups– Experience on the website
– Quality of data
• Continued development– Online chat
– Resource navigators
– Data integrity
