Broadening Reach through the Development of a Responsive Website En Espaņol for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Background:  According to Pew Research, 73 percent of the Hispanic population seek health information on mobile devices. In 2015, more than 50 percent of the visits to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) website were people seeking health information in Spanish. At the same time, the number of Spanish-language inquiries the NIAMS received via Facebook was increasing significantly. The NIAMS website offered select bilingual publications, however, their Spanish-language web content needed to be bolstered and organized to meet the needs of those seeking information on diseases and conditions of the bones, joints, muscles, and skin.  This presentation details IQ Solutions’ support of the foundational research, development, launch, and evaluation of a mobile friendly Spanish website portal for the NIAMS.

Program background:  Based on a data-driven foundation, and using feedback from a website content analysis, IQ Solutions supported the NIAMS by creating a responsive or mobile-friendly Spanish website. We improved access to key search topics and related Federal resources; ensured that key content from the main NIAMS site was translated into Spanish; and provided information on clinical research studies. Using a phased approach, we prioritized key information, and translated NIAMS’ health information content into Spanish. With attention to cultural competency, we designed the new landing page to include culturally appropriate imagery. Each section offered links to key resources to improve the navigability and to enhance the users’ experience. We also translated publication ordering information. The end result was a revamped, responsive site that offered access to important resources in a user-friendly format.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  Using website data collected from Google Analytics and WebTrends on Demand, the NIAMS Spanish portal received an average of 492,000 visits per month prior to its redesign. After updating the content and implementing the responsive design, visits skyrocketed to an average of 1,723,000 per month – a growth rate of 250% versus the average growth rate of 4% per year. 

Conclusions:  By providing important and timely information in Spanish in a digestible and mobile-friendly format, the NIAMS has significantly increased the traffic to its Spanish portal and improved the user experience for its stakeholders. Making health information accessible to populations whose mobile phones are often their only online tool is vital to addressing health education equity. With their new Spanish website, NIAMS is getting trusted health information into the hands of the largest ethnic/racial minority in the U.S. Continuing to update the site with additional resources in Spanish will create deeper engagement with existing users and facilitate growth by garnering new users. 

Implications for research and/or practice:  Understanding your audience and the way they process data are key to knowing how to present your resources to them, and will position you as a valued source of timely and reliable information. As more people seek public health information on their mobile devices, organizations of all types will need responsive websites providing information designed with their audiences in mind.