A lot of care in new website
St John of God Health Care has made a significant move in the digital arena with the launch of its new website at a time when patients and their family members are increasingly seeking out information about health services online.
9 Dec 2016
9 December 2016
Recent research found that 72 per cent of consumers sought health information online in the last 12 months.
Consumers are increasingly comfortable with looking for information on websites or dedicated apps from a mobile device they carry with them, like a tablet or phone.
St John of God Health Care is leading the way in ensuring its website works effectively on mobile phones, tablets and desktop computers. Research indicates that 60 per cent of health care organisation websites don’t work on mobile devices.
Group Manager Media and Public Affairs, Sally-ann Parker said the health care group’s approach to building a new website was all about putting “users first”.
“First and foremost we had to go out there and ask users of our services what they need and want from our website,” Sally-ann said.
“As an organisation, we are extremely well regarded for considering the physical, spiritual and emotional and needs of our patients and their families when they come into our hospitals or services.
“Our aim is to see that same high level of care extend to all encounters we have with our patients, or our doctors, or anyone we engage with in the online environment.”
“We consulted widely with over 1,000 health consumers as well as our doctors and caregivers, who provided great insight into what works for them.
“A strength of our digital experience consultant, Precedent, was a complete focus on the ‘user experience’ and they continued to test how the website functioned from that perspective throughout the build.”
More than 250 experts from across the wide range of specialties on offer at St John of God hospitals and health services were called on to ensure that the information found on the website is both credible and trustworthy.
A key element of the website is a new find a doctor search function that helps patients make informed decisions about their care. It includes detailed profile information about the doctors that work at our hospitals, with the ability to search for doctors by hospital location and clinical specialty.
Sally-ann said the launch of the new website was a big step to being responsive to the needs of health consumers online.
“The digital environment provides great opportunity to build a relationship with our patients before and after they access our services, ensuring a continuum of care that delivers further improvements to their health and recovery.”