Better Access to Public Health

A Public Health Agency Modernizing its Digital Presence

A state public health agency recognized the critical need to modernize its digital infrastructure to more effectively disseminate vital health information to the public, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders. Their existing web presence had grown organically over time, resulting in a vast amount of information organized around internal bureaucratic structures rather than the needs of their diverse audiences. This often led to user frustration, difficulty in finding essential information, and inefficiencies in communication, particularly during public health emergencies. The agency partnered with Concrete to adopt a user-centered approach to redesign their web presence and improve their overall digital communication strategy.

Embracing Human-Centered Principles for Public Health

Concrete's approach was guided by core principles that acknowledged the unique complexities of the public health ecosystem:

• Data as a living participant: Recognizing that public health data is not just neutral information but an active element in the system with its own lifecycle and impact.

• Symmetry and asymmetry of power and information: Understanding the importance of two-way exchange across all levels of the public health system to foster trust and ensure data has the largest possible impact.

• Accessibility in the broadest sense: Prioritizing meaningful access to information, decision-making, and participation for all individuals and entities.

• Public health practitioners are people, too: Respecting the experiences and priorities of public health workers and using generative research practices.

• Navigating a complex system: Acknowledging that public health operates as both a public service and a large enterprise system with potentially conflicting priorities.

A Phased Research and Design Approach:

Concrete implemented a phased research and design approach, actively engaging both end-users and agency staff in the development of solutions. This involved various research activities, including:

• Stakeholder interviews: Gathering insights from agency leaders and subject matter experts to understand their objectives, assumptions, and challenges.

• End-user research: Conducting interviews and usability testing with members of the public, healthcare providers, and other key audiences to understand their information needs and website usage patterns.

• Competitive analysis: Reviewing the digital presence of other public health agencies to identify best practices and areas for improvement.

• Ideation workshops: Facilitating collaborative sessions with stakeholders to define user needs and identify limitations of the existing web processes.

• Design sprints: Rapidly prototyping and testing design concepts to gather user feedback and iterate on solutions.

Transforming Information Architecture and User Experience:

A key focus of the project was to transform the agency's website from an organization-chart driven structure to one centered around the needs and tasks of its users. User research revealed that individuals often needed to access information across multiple agency programs, making the existing siloed structure highly inefficient. Concrete facilitated a series of meetings with diverse stakeholders to identify essential user-driven information clusters and cross-cutting functions that would inform a more intuitive information architecture.

For instance, during the redesign of a website focused on a public health emergency (such as a serious pandemic outbreak), the user-centered approach ensured that critical information regarding prevention, treatment, and vaccination was easily accessible to the public, including high-risk groups. User feedback directly influenced the navigation model, content layout, and the development of interactive tools that helped individuals determine their priority for vaccination.

Benefits of User-Centered Insights:

By prioritizing user needs and adopting a human-centered design approach, the public health agency realized significant benefits:

• Improved Information Accessibility: The redesigned website made it easier for the public and stakeholders to find the information they needed, regardless of their familiarity with the agency's internal structure.

• Enhanced Public Engagement: User-friendly design and clear communication fostered greater public engagement with important health information, particularly during emergencies.

• More Effective Communication: Tailoring content and navigation to user needs ensured that vital health messages were more likely to be seen, understood, and acted upon.

• Increased Efficiency for Users and Staff: A more intuitive website reduced user frustration and the need to contact the agency for assistance, while also streamlining internal content management processes.

• Stronger Partnerships and Collaboration: Engaging diverse stakeholders in the research and design process fostered consensus and broke down silos within the agency.

• Positive Recognition and Funding: The success of user-centered design initiatives, such as the flu website, garnered state-level awards and even secured additional funding for continued improvements.

The Enduring Value of User-Centered Design in Healthcare

By actively seeking to understand the needs, behaviors, and emotional experiences of their users, healthcare organizations can create more effective, engaging, and ultimately more impactful solutions. Whether it's improving member engagement for an insurance provider or enhancing public health communication for a government agency, placing the user at the center of the design process leads to increased trust, improved satisfaction, better outcomes, and a stronger connection between healthcare organizations and the people they serve.

Ready to transform your healthcare experiences through user-centered design? Reach out to us today in the form below for a consultation to discover how we can help you unlock the power of user insights.