We completed 7 studies as part of the development of the new healthfinder.gov site and the Quick Guide to Healthy Living prevention content. We continue to do more formative research to inform the writing of new content (new content for parents and for people who are managing chronic diseases). Each study had a little different focus and different demographic make-up. We wanted to have input from a diverse audience, but also wanted to ensure that we heard from a large number of users who may struggle with health literacy. As many of you know, it is very difficult to recruit this population, so our definitions and strategies for recruitment evolved over time. 
 
Below is a quick breakdown of each study with a description of the participants. I am happy to share more detailed information if anyone is interested.
 
Study #1: Mental Models Research; N = 35

 

In-depth interviews with English-speaking adults 18-65 years of age with limited health literacy. Low health literacy was defined as having an 8th to 12th grade education, or a score of below 61 (less than an 8th grade reading level) on the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) evaluation tool, as well as having low knowledge in at least one of the eight prevention topics being studied. 

 

Study #2: Structured Interviews; N = 200

 

Participants between ages of 18-65 who had used the Internet to search for health information in the past year. Very diverse sample with respect to racial ethnic background, education, and income. Almost half of the participants (82) had an annual household income of less than $40,000

 

Study #3: Card Sort; N = 81

 

Again a diverse sample with respect to age, income, education, and Internet experience. 24 participants had less than high school education, 25 participants had an annual household income under $40,000 annual income, 11 participants had less than 1 year internet experience. 

 

Study #4: Prevention Prototype Evaluation; N=300

 

Tested with a diverse, nationwide sample of 260 people remotely and 40 people with limited health literacy in-person. In this study we operationalized limited health literacy as: people with a high school education or less, who had an annual household income of less than $40,000; and who had not searched for health information on the Internet in the past year.

 

Study #5: Usability Testing; N = 40

 

Adult women recruited from a community health center system in Baltimore. Most participants in this study were uninsured; had an annual household income of less than $40,000; had less than 2 years of college; and were not regular Internet users.

 

Study #6: Usability Testing; N = 13

Adult women recruited from a community health center system in Baltimore. Most participants in this study were uninsured; had an annual household income of less than $40,000; had less than 2 years of college; and were not regular Internet users.

 

Study # 7; Usability Testing; N = 8

Adults recruited in Knoxville, TN; half the participants were not regular Internet users, had only a high school education and had an annual household income of less than $40,000.

 

Sandra Williams Hilfiker
Health Communication Advisor
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office of Public Health and Science, Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
1101 Wooton Parkway, LL 100
Rockville, MD 20850
240-453-8268
sandraw.hilfiker at hhs.gov 

________________________________

From: healthliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Audrey Riffenburgh
Sent: Mon 9/29/2008 12:52 PM
To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [HealthLiteracy 2347] Re: Improved healthfinder.gov Makes Prevention Information Quicker and Easier to Use


Hello, Sandra,
 
The new site is a great improvement! Thank you so much! I noticed you tested it with over 650 users. Can you please tell us how you recruited the test users and some of the following information about them?  

*	Educational attainment level OR 
*	Literacy level (and how assessed) OR 
*	Health literacy skills (and how assessed) 
*	Age, health status, experience with internet use, etc.

 
I'm always very interested in knowing the demographics of the test users so I can tell specifically who the site worked well with. As we know, users with a high school education or more are so very different than users with less than a high school education (just as one way of describing and dividing them). 
 
Thanks! 
 
Audrey Riffenburgh, M.A., President
Plain Language Works (formerly Riffenburgh & Associates)
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA 
Phone: (505) 345-1107   E-mail: ar at plainlanguageworks.com
Founding Member, The Clear Language Group, www.clearlanguagegroup.com <http://www.clearlanguagegroup.com/> 
Ph.D. Student in Health Communication, Univ. of New Mexico
 
----- Original Message ----- 

	From: Hilfiker, Sandra W. (HHS/OPHS) <mailto:SandraW.Hilfiker at hhs.gov>  
	To: The Health and Literacy Discussion List <mailto:healthliteracy at nifl.gov>  
	Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 10:33 AM
	Subject: [HealthLiteracy 2342] Improved healthfinder.gov Makes Prevention Information Quicker and Easier to Use


	The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released a more user-friendly version of healthfinder.gov <http://www.healthfinder.gov/> . The site offers quick and easy information and tools to help people stay healthy and prevent disease. 

	 

	Coordinated by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) and its National Health Information Center, the redesign of healthfinder.gov was informed by health literacy and usability principles and tested with more than 650 users. 

	 

	Visit healthfinder.gov's Quick Guide to Healthy Living <http://www.healthfinder.gov/prevention/> , a new resource that uses everyday language and examples to:

	*	Tell users how to take action to improve their health using a "small-steps" approach 
	*	Give users positive reasons to change their behavior 
	*	Provide tools and encouragement, such as personal health calculators, menu planners and recipes, tips for caregivers, and printable lists of questions to take to the doctor 

	 

	You also may want to try out the new "myhealthfinder <http://www.healthfinder.gov/prevention/> " tool, which provides personalized health recommendations based on sex, age, and pregnancy status. This feature offers evidence-based recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts in prevention and primary care sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. 

	 

	Visit the redesigned healthfinder.gov <http://www.healthfinder.gov/>  today and help us spread the word about this new resource. For instructions on how to link to healthfinder.gov, please visit http://www.healthfinder.gov/aboutus/linking.aspx.

	 

	Sandra Williams Hilfiker

	Health Communication Advisor

	Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

	Office of Public Health and Science, Office of the Secretary
	U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
	1101 Wootton Parkway, LL 100

	Rockville, MD 20850

	240-453-8268

	SandraW.Hilfiker at hhs.gov

	 

	 

	 

	 

	
________________________________


	

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