TY - JOUR
T1 - Distributed usability evaluation of the Pennsylvania Cancer Atlas
AU - Bhowmick, Tanuka
AU - Robinson, Anthony C.
AU - Gruver, Adrienne
AU - MacEachren, Alan M.
AU - Lengerich, Eugene J.
N1 - Funding Information:
As mentioned previously, we have adapted the GeoVISTA Center's online e-Delphi web application to support distributed input to our user-centered design process [26]. GeoVISTA e-Delphi is a web service-based application that was developed as part of an NSF Infrastructure project to develop the Human-Environment Regional Observatory (HERO) Grant No. 9978052. That project was completed in 2007. The HERO project team supported several applications of GeoVISTA e-Delphi by external groups during the period of that grant. Plans are being developed to reengineer and extend GeoVISTA e-Delphi and to then provide access for external users.
Funding Information:
We would like to thank Bill Pike (currently at Pacific Northwest National Labs), the designer of the e-Delphi tool which we have used to conduct the online surveys and focus groups. We are especially grateful for the individuals who volunteered their time and opinions during the distributed focus groups. The authors would like to acknowledge Steve Crawford (lead developer of the PA-CA software), Roxanne Parrott, Brenda Kluhsman, Yihai Lui and Juan Wu for their input as part of the Pennsylvania Cancer Atlas project and for specific suggestions at various stages of development. This research was made possible through a Cooperative Agreement between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), award number MM-0718. Its contents are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the CDC or AAMC. The cancer data in the Pennsylvania Cancer Atlas were provided by the Bureau of Health Statistics and Research, Pennsylvania Department of Health. The Department specifically disclaims responsibility for any analyses, interpretations or conclusions.
PY - 2008/7/11
Y1 - 2008/7/11
N2 - Background: The Pennsylvania Cancer Atlas (PA-CA) is an interactive online atlas to help policy-makers, program managers, and epidemiologists with tasks related to cancer prevention and control. The PA-CA includes maps, graphs, tables, that are dynamically linked to support data exploration and decision-making with spatio-temporal cancer data. Our Atlas development process follows a user-centered design approach. To assess the usability of the initial versions of the PA-CA, we developed and applied a novel strategy for soliciting user feedback through multiple distributed focus groups and surveys. Our process of acquiring user feedback leverages an online web application (e-Delphi). In this paper we describe the PA-CA, detail how we have adapted e-Delphi web application to support usability and utility evaluation of the PA-CA, and present the results of our evaluation. Results: We report results from four sets of users. Each group provided structured individual and group assessments of the PA-CA as well as input on the kinds of users and applications for which it is best suited. Overall reactions to the PA-CA are quite positive. Participants did, however, provide a range of useful suggestions. Key suggestions focused on improving interaction functions, enhancing methods of temporal analysis, addressing data issues, and providing additional data displays and help functions. These suggestions were incorporated in each design and implementation iteration for the PA-CA and used to inform a set of web-atlas design principles. Conclusion: For the Atlas, we find that a design that utilizes linked map, graph, and table views is understandable to and perceived to be useful by the target audience of cancer prevention and control professionals. However, it is clear that considerable variation in experience using maps and graphics exists and for those with less experience, integrated tutorials and help features are needed. In relation to our usability assessment strategy, we find that our distributed, web-based method for soliciting user input is generally effective. Advantages include the ability to gather information from users distributed in time and space and the relative anonymity of the participants while disadvantages include less control over when and how often participants provide input and challenges for obtaining rich input.
AB - Background: The Pennsylvania Cancer Atlas (PA-CA) is an interactive online atlas to help policy-makers, program managers, and epidemiologists with tasks related to cancer prevention and control. The PA-CA includes maps, graphs, tables, that are dynamically linked to support data exploration and decision-making with spatio-temporal cancer data. Our Atlas development process follows a user-centered design approach. To assess the usability of the initial versions of the PA-CA, we developed and applied a novel strategy for soliciting user feedback through multiple distributed focus groups and surveys. Our process of acquiring user feedback leverages an online web application (e-Delphi). In this paper we describe the PA-CA, detail how we have adapted e-Delphi web application to support usability and utility evaluation of the PA-CA, and present the results of our evaluation. Results: We report results from four sets of users. Each group provided structured individual and group assessments of the PA-CA as well as input on the kinds of users and applications for which it is best suited. Overall reactions to the PA-CA are quite positive. Participants did, however, provide a range of useful suggestions. Key suggestions focused on improving interaction functions, enhancing methods of temporal analysis, addressing data issues, and providing additional data displays and help functions. These suggestions were incorporated in each design and implementation iteration for the PA-CA and used to inform a set of web-atlas design principles. Conclusion: For the Atlas, we find that a design that utilizes linked map, graph, and table views is understandable to and perceived to be useful by the target audience of cancer prevention and control professionals. However, it is clear that considerable variation in experience using maps and graphics exists and for those with less experience, integrated tutorials and help features are needed. In relation to our usability assessment strategy, we find that our distributed, web-based method for soliciting user input is generally effective. Advantages include the ability to gather information from users distributed in time and space and the relative anonymity of the participants while disadvantages include less control over when and how often participants provide input and challenges for obtaining rich input.
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U2 - 10.1186/1476-072X-7-36
DO - 10.1186/1476-072X-7-36
M3 - Article
C2 - 18620565
AN - SCOPUS:48549105882
SN - 1476-072X
VL - 7
JO - International Journal of Health Geographics
JF - International Journal of Health Geographics
M1 - 36
ER -