Online Health Information: Implementing a Content Strategy That Fits Every Screen

Background: The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health, provides health information seekers with science-based content on more than 100 diseases and conditions. Analytics and survey data show over 95% of website visitors access health information content, most visitors are searching for a specific health topic for themselves or a loved one, and over half of NIDDK visitors use a mobile device or tablet. Determining how to improve the online experience for the 25 million annual visitors to the NIDDK website was a challenge. 

Program background: To strengthen this asset, Sapient Government Services (SGS) worked with NIDDK to move forward with re-architecting the way it presents health information to meet the needs of all audiences, including those with varying literacy levels and mobile visitors. The team focused on content strategies along with information architecture to enhance the online experience for NIDDK site visitors. The team used website data, Google analytics, and publication data to determine which content to improve and integrate first. Somewhat constrained by the current website platform, a team developed and tested wireframes with the general public that would lay a foundation for the way health content is presented in future state. Information architecture improvements included new landing pages and content organized the way people search for health information. The focus on centralizing and enhancing the structure of health information moved NIDDK’s web content toward a responsive, mobile-first approach that will be maximized when the website platform changes to one with more capabilities, allowing for additional design considerations for all screen sizes. 

Evaluation Methods and Results: In an effort to update, centralize and simplify the experience, the team improved the content for certain health topics. This involved creating “bites” of content, which together form a “snack.” The in-depth “meal” content was rewritten using plain language and web writing best practices. During the initial pilot phase, 12 topics were improved and implemented, and since, 41 topics have been added in the content pipeline for improvement using the “bite, snack, meal” approach. To accurately measure performance and success, a digital analytics program was utilized. Offering a complete picture of a wide number of activities at a glance, the program tracks metrics like site usage, visitor profiles, and even marketing information, such as social media traffic and printed material distribution. 

Conclusions:  In the first month of tracking, page views per visit to the improved topics increased by 90%. Analytics show promise for the new health information pages, where people are navigating as intended. These content and architecture efforts allows NIDDK’s digital presence to stay relevant by providing the best possible experience, optimizing efforts, and making updates to meet constantly evolving digital needs – and screen sizes.

Implications for research and/or practice: This methodology and application can be explored, integrated, and applied to health information websites to meet the understanding and digital needs of various types of audiences.