Submitted by Judith L. Rieke
Harley E. French Library of the Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND
In 2004, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) unveiled a web resource called American Indian Health to bring together health and medical resources for American Indians. To increase usability by the intended audience, a focus group and a user group have assisted with the ongoing development of the resource and collaborated with NLM to produce a usable resource.
A focus group was convened by NLM and met via teleconference in April 2005. There were 12 American Indian participants who provided feedback to the new web resource. The transcripts were analyzed and acted upon as appropriate. Also in 2005, plans were made by NLM to establish a user group. A librarian at the Library of the Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, was asked to be the coordinator for the initial group. She selected group members, established guidelines, trained group members, and monitored their work. The members are American Indians who live on or have close ties with Indian communities. They also must have a strong interest in or knowledge of Indian health issues.
The purpose of the user group is to evaluate, select sites, and promote the website. Their work is conducted via e-mail, telephone, and in-person meetings. They are paid for their time. The focus group provided the feedback on how American Indian people find health information. They noted that there is an absence of Indian specific information, easy to read information, lack of urban Indian information, and that many have problems with Internet access. They also provided feedback on using the American Indian Health web site. They appreciated a focus specific to Indians, good design, respected authority, timeliness of information, and content pertinent to focus audience. Through July 2007, the user group suggested 668 sites, reviewed and recommended new design elements, and promoted the resource at six North Dakota powwows and conferences.
The AIH web resource is enriched by user participation and collaboration. Resources are added, subject areas increase, and the site is easier to navigate. Challenges with implementing user feedback include technical and time constraints. Benefits for user group members include financial, knowledge about web site content selection, and a broader exposure to the many facets of Indian health. User group members are advocates for the resource within their communities and in their lives.