Abstract
Redesigning Web-based Presentation of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence-based Practice Center Program Systematic Reviews
Celia V. Fiordalisi,1 Edwin Reid,1 Haley K. Holmer,1 Edi E. Kuhn1
Objective
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Program produces rigorous and comprehensive systematic reviews that are posted on the Effective Health Care (EHC) website. To improve presentation, user experience, and accessibility of reports and their findings, a redesign of the EHC website was implemented to display important systematic review elements through interactive tools presented on a clean and easy-to-use webpage.
Design
The interactive site was initially designed by the Scientific Resource Center (SRC) before being piloted by the American Institutes for Research among clinical and other stakeholders within 6 large learning health systems. The SRC incorporated findings from pilot activities to update the site design, and the EPC Program is now implementing this new web-based design that prioritizes interactive data presentation and end-user inquiry-based exploration of findings.
Results
To date, 7 EPC systematic reviews had been transformed into interactive formats and were live on the EHC website, with additional reports being added as available. Three elements improved accessibility of report findings and are key features in implementation of the site redesign: Main Findings (summary bullet points), the Visual Dashboard (interactive graphs and tables designed in Tableau), and the Report Snapshot. The Main Findings allow end users to get the bottom line with minimal time investment. The Visual Dashboard offers customizable data visualizations, allowing end users to explore data relevant to their clinical decision-making or research questions. For users who prefer a more text-based presentation, the Report Snapshot displays data and summary statements within a table. Both the Visual Dashboard and the Report Snapshot hyperlink specific data points to the underlying studies on PubMed. These design elements address end users’ need to quickly identify key messages and evaluate the data according to their own needs and questions, whether these users are health system leaders, practicing clinicians, guideline developers, or researchers.
Conclusions
The EHC website redesign offers users multiple methods to explore the findings from AHRQ EPC reports in an accessible and dynamic format. The implementation of the redesign will incorporate the peer review process to improve the quality of reporting. Evidence producers of all types should begin to better meet the informational needs of evidence consumers by moving away from flat-file presentation of findings toward more interactive and web-based displays.
1Portland VA Research Foundation, Portland, OR, USA, haley.holmer@va.gov
Conflict of Interest Disclosures
None reported.
Funding/Support
This work was funded by the AHRQ EHC Program through a contract to the SRC (HHSA 2902017003C). The authors of this manuscript are responsible for its content. Statements in the manuscript do not necessarily represent the official views of or imply endorsement by the AHRQ.