SBIR PHASE I TOPIC #177: ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF INTER

Clinical Tools, Inc., Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Phase I objectives of this Fast Track SBIR contract are to: 1. Perform a formal literature review to identify work produced since the original application and to enhance our prior literature review. We will also re-review and refine our understanding of existing health quality standards whether those standards are formally published or not. 2. Perform focus group interviews of 30 consumers, discussing their use of the Internet to obtain health information, their desired information, and preferred interface. Results will be analyzed to better understand the needs, technological capability, and interest. 3. Develop instruments to measure self-efficacy (confidence in ability to find quality health information), awareness of resources (including the variety of potential experiences on the Internet including chat and bulletin boards), and satisfaction with the experience. The scales will be evaluated and refined with a focus group of 20 subjects. 4. Specify site specifications, including objectives, and the typical user experience. 5. Create a formal site development plan for the prototype site and create the site involving input from professionals (30 physicians, 35 non-physician [e.g., nurse, social worker, NP, PA]) and 30 consumers not involved in the prior research. We will attempt to include women and minority consumers proportionate to their relative national percentages in the general population and will stratify as necessary to obtain a representative sample of U.S. health seekers. 6. Produce a prototype site that fulfills goals of the NCI SBIR Contract Solicitation by: a) developing a means to allow users to assess the quality of Internet health/medical web sites, b) developing a product that will improve users? basic knowledge and understanding of an interactive health communication medium (Internet web sites), c) incorporating existing, established guidelines for health site development into the product, and finally, d) developing a method to improve interactive health communication products through user feedback and evaluation. Our final prototype will focus on tobacco use and related health disorders. 7. Complete a simple trial involving 30 consumers. We will measure pre/post change in self-efficacy and awareness of resources after a subject has used the prototype site and evaluate the results for a statistically significant effect on self-efficacy or awareness of resources. We will also assess and analyze satisfaction with components of the experience as well as with the entire process of using FindAHealthSite.com. 8. Make the site available on the Internet and obtain additional feedback when the prototype is complete. 9. Produce a final report: a) documenting the above results, including site specifications, scales, development plan, and data analysis from the 30-user trial; summarized efforts on the project, deviations from the original plan, any obstacles that were encountered, how these problems were overcome, ongoing challenges that will need to considered in Phase II, and anticipated changes to the Phase II plan to insure its success. b) A Literature Review on interactive healthcare communication and quality standards; c) Need, Interest, and Capability Analysis of consumers and online healthcare; d) Site Finding Self-Efficacy Scale, Online Health Resource Awareness Scale, and Satisfaction Scale for consumers; e) Website Specifications and Objectives for a website aimed at consumer seekers of online healthcare; f) Research Results including qualitative and quantitative analysis, results, and discussion related to: 1) a trial of the scales with a small (N=20) consumer audience, 2) a formative analysis (N=105) of a prototype site, 3) a consumer trial (N=30) of the prototype site using scales described in 1).