Democratizing Access to Community-Based Survey Findings Through Dynamic Data Visualizations

Area of Science:

• Public Health Surveillance
• Data Visualization
• Community-Based Research

Background:

• The Sex Now surveys represent Canada's largest community-based study on gay and bisexual men's health.
• Access to this data has been limited, hindering its use in program evaluation and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the OurStats data visualization dashboard developed by the Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC).
• To assess the usability, acceptability, and utility of OurStats for community partners.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed to community partners via the CBRC and Advance Alliance.
• The evaluation focused on user experience, perceived value compared to traditional outputs, and intended use cases.

Main Results:

• 350 unique visitors used OurStats in its initial launch period (November-December 2019).
• All respondents indicated they would likely use and recommend OurStats.
• Respondents found OurStats superior to traditional academic and knowledge translation outputs for specific applications.
• Key requested improvement: enhanced help documentation for display settings.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic data visualizations are a feasible and acceptable method for disseminating community-based survey data.
• Providing adequate support and documentation is crucial for maximizing the utility of such tools for community partners.