Outside Looking In: Healthwise White Paper Reveals Secrets Behind Effective Consumer Health Information

BOISE, ID--(Marketwire - June 12, 2007) - When health care organizations see health information from their consumers' eyes, they can help consumers make better health decisions, according to a new Healthwise white paper. "Outside Looking In: Seeing health information from our users' eyes," by the Healthwise User Experience Team, can be downloaded at www.healthwise.org.

Introducing a powerful approach for matching evidence-based content to evidence-based delivery, members of the Healthwise User Experience Team reveal their secrets -- getting to know your consumers, understanding why plain language matters, seeing how great images can make good teachers, and learning what motivates people to make a change.

--  "Getting to Know Our Users," by Julie Cabinaw, Healthwise Director of
    User Experience -- Lumping unique users into a single group of "everyone"
    can compromise content and product design. Cabinaw describes how personas
    and usability testing help ensure that Healthwise health content is deeply
    relevant to our users.
--  "Plain Language in Plain Terms," by Katy Magee, Healthwise Content
    Area Manager -- When information is easy to read and use, it can teach,
    clarify, guide, and really help. Magee introduces a few Healthwise plain
    language guidelines and provides examples of making complex health
    information more simple.
--  "Visual Recognition," by Steve Graepel, Healthwise Visual Content
    Manager -- If visual content doesn't help consumers understand the written
    content, it doesn't really help. Graepel outlines the Healthwise visual
    style guide and how Healthwise uses contour, tone, color, and context to
    create effective teaching visuals.
--  "Understanding Patient Behavior," An Interview With Catherine A.
    Serio, Ph.D., Healthwise Behavioral Consultant -- Understanding patients'
    goals and beliefs can enhance content and help more people make better
    health decisions. This interview with Dr. Serio explores why understanding
    patient behavior is critical to creating health content and tools that
    improve outcomes, build strong doctor-patient relationships, and foster
    other supporting relationships.
    

When health organizations deliver their evidence-based guidelines using evidence-based development and delivery techniques, they go beyond just "consumer friendly" -- they really help people make better health decisions.

About Healthwise

Healthwise is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help people make better health decisions. Nearly 100 million times a year, people turn to Healthwise information to learn how to do more for themselves, ask for the care they need, and say "no" to the care they don't need. Healthwise partners with health plans, hospitals, disease management companies, and health Web sites to provide up-to-date, evidence-based information to the people they serve. To learn more about the Healthwise Information Therapy (Ix®) Solution, visit www.healthwise.org or call 1.800.706.9646.

Contact Information: Healthwise Contact: Brenda Foster Phone: 208.331.6963 E-mail: