Using collaborative web technology to construct the health information national trends survey

Area of Science:

• * Utilizes web-based technology for scientific collaboration, termed Science 2.0.

Background:

• * Science 2.0 facilitates new collaborative research environments.
• * The National Cancer Institute developed HINTS-GEM as a virtual collaboration tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To describe the conceptual development of the HINTS-GEM platform.
• * To present the results of using HINTS-GEM for improving the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS).

Main Methods:

• * HINTS-GEM is a web-based tool enabling diverse stakeholder collaboration.
• * Stakeholders provided input by suggesting new content and rating/commenting on existing content.
• * The Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) is a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults.

Main Results:

• * Stakeholder engagement through HINTS-GEM led to the creation of an improved survey instrument.
• * The platform facilitated virtual collaboration for survey content development.

Conclusions:

• * Web-based collaborative tools like HINTS-GEM are effective for developing and refining survey instruments.
• * Science 2.0 principles enhance the collaborative process in public health research.