The Case for Change: Content Syndication

Background: The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) provides leadership for a healthier America by initiating, coordinating, and supporting disease prevention and health promotion activities, programs, policies, and information for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through collaboration with HHS agencies and other partners in prevention.  ODPHP advances the development and use of science to enable individuals and communities to make informed choices and take effective action to enhance health and prevent disease.

Program background:  Healthfinder.gov is an award-winning Web site featuring science-based, trusted disease prevention and wellness information and comprehensive health resources drawn from more than 1,600 Government sources and nonprofit organizations.  ODPHP recently expanded healthfinder.gov to include its Quick Guide to Healthy Living (QGHL).  The QGHL includes easy-to-use information presented in plain language that can help people learn how to stay healthy.  Credible, science-based information on more than 70 topics—ranging from diabetes and heart health to cancer screening, pregnancy, and health tips for older adults—informs, educates, and motivates visitors to improve their health by incorporating healthy behaviors into their lives and taking small steps that result in significant health improvements. For years, Government agencies have invested significant time and resources to develop evidence-based content.  The questions have always been:  How do we deliver this information in a cost-effective way to the people who need it?  How do we get the information back out to users when the content changes?  ODPHP came up with a novel approach by embedding its Web site content in other Web sites using new technology.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  ODPHP launched a Web content syndication application to distribute more broadly prevention topics from the Quick Guide to Healthy Living found in healthfinder.gov.  Rather than having visitors always visit healthfinder.gov for disease prevention and health promotion information, ODPHP can work with selected organizations and provide healthfinder content on the Web sites of individual organizations.

Conclusions:  By using XML technology, participating organizations will be able to gain direct access to ODPHP prevention topics from the QGHL.  These organizations can automatically present the content in the “look and feel” of their Web site, which increases the total readership of the QGHL.  When ODPHP updates the information, the information will automatically be updated on participating organization’s Web sites.  Through a healthfinder logo that automatically appears at the end of the stories, healthfinder.gov will be credited with providing the content, further expanding ODPHP’s reach and brand.

   

 

Implications for research and/or practice:  ODPHP is no longer relying on people to come to its Web site; ODPHP will now reach people on the Web sites of participating organizations with the security of knowing that the information posted will always be up to date.