Health websites treat search stress

Engines being retrofitted for ease
By Allison Bruce,
abruce@VenturaCountyStar.com
August 7, 2006

Almost three-fourths of people online have used search engines to find health information, but only 16 percent of those people actually find the information they want.

That statistic from a recent JupiterResearch report raises questions about how search engines provide information and opportunities for search engines targeted specifically at health.

The report took into consideration both general search engines and health-related search engines, basically the Googles and WebMDs of the Internet. It found that health search engines must create brand awareness to draw more customers and keep customers through an easy-to-use site. Adding bells and whistles won't bring in a loyal group of Web searchers if the site becomes more complicated with each new feature, the report concludes.

Some Web sites already have responded to what searchers want. WebMD, which has the strongest name recognition among health search sites, has made several changes to its Web site in recent months, including easier, more accurate searches.

The changes make use of quicker ways to get people more of the information they want, said David Gang, WebMD's chief technology officer.

Simplicity just makes sense. Gang said someone who cuts their finger in the kitchen doesn't want to go through an extensive Web search to find out how to treat it. That's why WebMD has added a first aid section where someone can click and get the information they need quickly.

The idea is to reduce the number of times a person has to click to get the information they want and make navigating through the site easier without getting lost in a tangle of multiple Web pages.

"The great thing about the Internet is we get daily focus groups," he said. So far, people have been going to more pages and getting more information through improvements made to WebMD.

The company plans to upgrade its search capabilities again in a few months.