Dig Deeper
The recommendations here will help grow consumer interest in your website and encourage more return visits. If you build it well, they will come.
1. Why should people use your site?
2. What do you want visitors to do?
3. How are you enabling them?
• Get quickly to the purpose of the site using plain language. Tell visitors what information you offer and what they can do with the information (e.g., compare doctors). Keep it short and sweet.
• To build consumer trust in your site, introduce your organization and describe why it provides quality information to consumers.
• Because consumers often define quality in different ways, clearly define the concept of “high-quality health care.” Include the fact that quality varies.
• Use visual elements (photos, illustrations, videos, etc.) that are simple and relevant to the site’s purpose. Images should represent various genders, ages, weights, races/ethnicities, and even family units. Test visuals with your audience to ensure they are relevant and that your audience can identify with them.
• Navigating the site should be effortless. Users should know: 1) where they are on the site; 2) what they will find when they click something; and 3) how to get back to the home page.
What are some ways consumers can help improve health care?
Leadership positions and health care activism are a good start
How do I get consumer feedback on my website?
There are several steps to take.
Do consumers find certain performance measures—such as readmissions and avoidable complications data—useful?
Yes, but there must be context.
How can my organization make our health care quality website more consumer friendly?
There are 3 key questions to answer.
What are the key traits of successful consumer representatives?
Advocacy experience and common goals are just the beginning
How do we attract employers to partner with us to improve health care quality?
Show them the benefit.
- Why do consumers need to know how much things cost?
- How do we help employers maintain their interest and energy in our partnership?
- What role do employers play in improving care quality?
- What frameworks can I use to engage and activate consumers?
- What are the benefits of personal health records?
- What is the Consumer Engagement Leadership Consortium?
- Where should I incorporate consumers into my practice or hospital?
- How do you explain the idea of “high-quality health care"?
- How do I clarify my role as a consumer within my organization or Alliance?
- How do I become a better consumer leader?