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A usability problem: conveying health risks to consumers on the Internet
Constance M Johnson1, Ryan J Shaw
1Duke University School of Nursing, Durham, NC, USA.
AMIA ... Annual Symposium Proceedings. AMIA Symposium
|January 11, 2013
Summary
Designing effective disease risk communication is vital. Many people misunderstand graphical risk displays and terminology, highlighting the need for health literacy evaluation in consumer health websites.
Area of Science:
- Health communication
- Usability testing
- Health literacy
Background:
- Communicating disease risk information to the public presents significant design challenges.
- Selecting appropriate media for delivering health risk information is critical for effective public understanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate public understanding and interpretation of graphical risk displays on a colon cancer risk website.
- To assess the impact of risk display design and terminology on user comprehension.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a usability evaluation of a colon cancer risk website.
- Assessed public interpretation of two graphical risk displays (bar graphs) and associated terminology.
Main Results:
- Many participants demonstrated a lack of understanding regarding risk concepts.
- Graphical displays of risk and related terminology were frequently misinterpreted by the public.
Conclusions:
- User-centered design for health websites must include representational analysis.
- Evaluating users' health and numerical literacy is essential for effective usability testing of consumer health information.
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